


Connections: In a Bar

by InfinityIllusion



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Rating subject to change, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-03-06 07:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3126161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfinityIllusion/pseuds/InfinityIllusion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What occurs when two lonely men become drinking companions at a bar?  And what happens afterwards?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Impressions Last the Longest

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all. This is crossposted on FFN, under the same title and same username, so it might look very familiar. I'm working on moving all my stories over to Ao3, starting with this one. I figure I can also use the time to edit the chapters I've already written to smooth out some details and hopefully get myself back into this fic. Here's hoping to consistent updates, once I get what I have edited and posted!
> 
> I hope you enjoy it (and yes, the chapters do get longer)!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to either Harry Potter or KHR! This is written purely for entertainment purposes and no money is being made off of this piece (I'm not sure who would pay me if I did).
> 
> Setting: Some years after Voldemort's defeat and sometime before the Arcobaleno are de-aged (which may result in some inconsistencies with the manga and anime, therefore rendering this story AU).
> 
> Line breaks:  
> ~IiI~ regular line break  
> ~ILI~ lemon implied (if I ever edit this again, one might appear. Maybe.)

* * *

 

In a bar, off an alley on the seedier side of Venice, a man knocks back another glass of liquor.  He’s too drunk to know exactly what he just swallowed, other than that it doesn’t contain any extra poison.  The bartender is a friend – if there are such things in the underworld of Italy. At the very least, the bartender knows that if any harm comes to this particular customer, Hell will look like Paradise.

Another person walks into the bar, swaying almost imperceptibly, to sit next to the man, alone at the bar. From the person’s clothing and body type, it is impossible to determine their gender.

“I’ll have what he’s having,” the newcomer tells the bartender in an equally androgynous voice, no slur evident in the statement.

With a nod, the bartender begins to mix the drink.

~IiI~

A few drinks later, the man takes actual notice of the person that has become his drinking companion – the bar is empty except for them and the bartender.  Previously he had observed enough of the other person to know they were not a threat to him and returned to his glass.  The other has raven hair, pulled back in a low ponytail off to the side of his/her head, and skin with the same color and potential consistency of cream.  Jade eyes are partially covered by eyelids at half-mast as they stare at something unseen by anyone. The person is beyond attractive to the man’s intoxicated brain, whoever they are bordering on ethereal.

The man always gets what he desires.  Needless to say, his companion is now on that list of desirables.

~IiI~

They leave at the same time, on an unspoken command.  Before they are even three meters from the entrance of the bar, the man, with spikey hair adorned by a few curls free from its usual fedora, presses the other against a conveniently located wall.  The other easily melts into the kiss, wrapping his/her arms around the other’s neck as a warm tongue explores his/her mouth.  The leg shoved by the man between the other’s legs reveals the other to be male, not that this information deters either from their exploration of each other’s bodies despite the clothes.

Some sense returns when they break from their kiss, as the spikey haired male growls, “Come.”

The other has little choice but compliance as he is all but dragged down a few streets to an apartment, which is hastily unlocked once the correct door is reached.

Stumbling around, trying to maintain as much contact with the other as possible while removing the barriers between them, the two discard their clothing haphazardly on the trek to the bedroom.

~ILI~

The two collapse, spent from their exertions, cuddling close to each other (one would deny it if ever asked, the other would merely smirk) even if neither would normally have slept so exposed to one they just met.  Tonight, that doesn't matter -- the wold is too much for either of them to deal with, both desiring some form of delusion that not everyone is out to kill them.  Together, they have the best sleep either has had in years.

~IiI~

Morning dawns bright, rousing both from their short but deep slumber.  The spikey haired male grunts and mutters into the pillow, “’ake a ‘hour ‘hirst.”  Slightly surprised, the jade-eyed male takes moves to the bathroom across from the sparse bedroom.

Finishing the shower quickly, he moves to gather his clothes and prepare breakfast, starting with coffee. The scent of the caffeinated drink is enough to rouse the other male to take a shower, just to gain access to the ambrosia in the kitchen.

Breakfast, eggs, toast, and coffee, is a quiet affair, before the other finishes gathering his belongings to leave.  With his hand on the door, the jade-eyed man says, “Harry Potter.”

The other stares for a moment before replying, “Reborn.”

Harry Potter smiles and leaves Reborn staring at the closed door for a minute after his departure.

~IiI~

The lives of the two continue. One burdened with powers trapping him in the form of a toddler, the other burdened with the betrayal of the friends he called family.  In quiet moments, each takes solace from that night they shared.

* * *

Hopefully this turned out all right.

 


	2. Harry Potter, Irony, and Yuuto Hibiki

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I will be posting just about everyday this week until I run out of chapters. Past that, updates will all be up to the whim of my muse. However, feel free to poke me to see where I am with the next update! My tumblr is http://www.fins-illusion.tumblr.com.
> 
> Also, if you can't tell, I'm American. Any British English lingo that I mess up can be directly related to that fact. (I don't have any family that is British either.)
> 
> In addition, there is some (very) minor bashing of Ron and Hermione in this chapter. This is not a theme in this fic, but it's not a portrayal for fans of those characters. I don't hate either character, but in this fic, they're just bad friends who think they know too much.
> 
> Finally, if any of you were wondering, Harry is now 27 in this chapter -- in the previous one he was 20.

**Language Key:**

_Harry_ is a character speaking in Italian

* * *

Harry Potter, once proclaimed savior of the British Wizarding World, was done.  He’d spend the last ten years dealing with the increasingly desperate plots of his former friends who were convinced that he needed to settle down after Voldemort’s demise, picking up his relationship with Ginny Weasley.

Ron was a master strategist, but had seriously underestimated Harry’s ability to get out of the trouble his luck always seemed to get him into. Hermione underestimated his need to get out of Britain, the UK – Europe all together if he could. There were too many memories haunting the grounds in which Harry would be confined.  Grimmauld Place with the small mementoes of Sirius and others who’d gone there to hide, only to be killed in the final battle, Diagon Alley and the memories of the dead pilling the streets, wandering with Griphook atop his shoulders to enter Gringotts with his former friends. And then there was Hogwarts. No matter what he did, he could no longer rid the image of the dead from his sight of the school. The corpses strewn about the sloping lawn, glassy eyes reflecting the dark sky, bodies twisted in impossible angles only to jump when both friend and foe stepped on a limb.

Ironically, it was the girl the world thought he was supposed to marry that helped him escape.

“Harry, you need to leave,” Ginny said one night when Harry refused to sleep for the third time in as many days.

Harry released a brittle, tired laugh that lacked any form of true mirth.  “I know, Gin.  Believe me, I know.  But I’ve been trapped by the Ministry in reestablishing our ties with the other magical communities (although sending their most powerful wizard is really more intimidation that real negotiation), trapped by Ron who wants me to settle down and marry you for either his or your benefit, trapped by Hermione who believes that marriage and therapy will solve all my problems.  What’s funny is that I’m pretty sure I’m not even straight, but you already knew that.”

And she did. Not once in all the time they had dated had Harry shown any real interest in having sex with her or any other female. That was part of the reason why they decided, in secret, to mutually break up after the battle. They would still be together publically, but both knew the other wasn’t interested.  With this arrangement, they became closer than most siblings.

“Well, you know that Luna is leaving to study the various spirits in Japan in two days with a small group of students.  Japan is far enough away that the Ministry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of Britain shouldn’t be able to find you easily.  Also, magical Japan is still quite isolated and protective of its mages…”

Harry pondered the idea for a moment.  The idea is sound; he already has some contacts there from his diplomatic missions over the years and Luna has always been close to his heart and he to her’s.

Slowly a smile spread across his face.  “Yes, that will work. I can easily buy a small house once I get there and set up my own school or something.  I loved teaching." 

Ginny smiled in response to this last statement before she said in a firm voice that would make her mother proud,  “Good, now that you’ve finally decided to do what you should have seven years ago, get to bed! Dreamless sleep is on your nightstand and no; you may not stay up to plan.  In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve had no sleep for the past 72 hours!”

Standing with her hands on her hips, Ginny presented an image reminiscent of a Fury.  Wisely, Harry complied with her directions.

~IiI~

Two days later, Harry touched the ground with the rest of Luna’s students wearing a glamor of a thin-faced boy with wispy brown hair –- easily forgettable.  Following Luna to the street, he gave her a subtle nod, and disappeared into the crowd.

~IiI~

Eight months after Harry Potter’s mysterious disappearance, Yuuto Hibiki closes his recently established dojo on one of the streets of Namimori.  While he walks to the grocery store on the corner of the street, he spots a familiar young boy with gravity defying caramel hair.

“Hey, Tsuna! Sawada-san finally let you out on your own again?”  Hibiki calls.

The boy nearly trips as he turns to find the man.  “A-ah, hello Hibiki-san. N-no, my mother has not been keeping me. I’ve been busy with – with school!”

“Hahaha. Really?  I seem to see you being followed by a couple of boys nowadays. You finally make some friends besides weird foreigners who run dojos?”

“Y-y-yes! Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun are very kind and good people!  I am very happy to have met them!”  Tsuna says slightly defensively.

“Ah, don’t worry. I’m just teasing. Tsuyoshi-san’s kid is pretty nice; he’s come by once or twice for sparing partners.  Anyways, remember, I’m always here for a cup of tea or something.” From the time Tsuna accidentally entered his dojo a week after he had opened to escape from bullies, Hibiki had become an older brother figure to the teen.  In the past months, the younger boy had stopped coming by, but the lack of bullies chasing the boy had prevented Hibiki from tracking him down.

“Y-yeah.”

“Heh, alright. See ya kid.”  Hibiki turns to enter the store, only to see a face that has kept him moving forward -- hell, even just getting out of bed -- for the past seven years.  He freezes.

“Reborn?” He whispers.

The hitman is startled to find those same jade eyes that have given him solace during his trials after seven years, seven long years that have been torture, though he’ll never admit it out loud.

In Italian, he replies, “ _Yes, Mr. Potter. Or are you Hibiki now? You seem quite far from Italy._ ”

The raven-haired man barks a laugh.  “ _Hah, I’m far from Italy, eh?  You seem to have run into far more trouble than I have these past few years Reborn.  I’m more impressed that you seem to remember my name._ ”

“ _Well, I could say the same._ " _  
_

Turning to his student, the baby orders, "Tsuna, go home,” before hopping down from the wall onto Hibiki’s shoulder.

When the brunet hesitates, Reborn shoots at the top of his head, eliciting a, “Hieeee!” as the brunet ducks and runs away, presumably back to his house, limbs flailing.

Hibiki chuckles. “ _He’s too fun to tease._ ”

Reborn smirks. “ _My sentiments exactly._ ”

“ _Well, since you’ve basically invited yourself to my house, let me grab some ingredients for dinner and then we can talk.  I’m going to assume you’ll stay for dinner?_ ”

The smirk remains. “ _It's only fair.  Last time you were privileged to see my home, it's time I see yours._ ”

Hibiki rolls his eyes and enters the store, but a slight, genuine smile remains on his face for the first time in seven years.

* * *

**Hope you liked it!**  


	3. Explanations, Expectations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prior to this, Reborn has no knowledge of the wizarding world, nor does most of the mafia. There may have been rumors, but I think that there has been some spell-enhanced omerta-esque thing (with cloaking devices/spells) for years. Otherwise, I am quite sure the secret would have gotten out (money and other things can easily convince a person). The reverse is not necessarily true – the wizards just don’t care so long as it doesn’t interfere with their plans and believe themselves to be superior because of their versatility. The wizards also haven’t been keeping very good tabs on the mafia for the past 400 years or so (since the time of Giotto).

* * *

 

**Key:**

“Harry” is English

“ _Harry_ ” is Italian

 **Harry**    is a note

* * *

 

After picking up the ingredients for some simple fried mackerel (1), Hibiki provides Reborn transportation to his home.

Although it would have been cheaper to stay above his dojo, Hibiki needed the distinction between work and home.  Having lived the past few years as a workaholic, he figured some space was needed (even if he generally only utilized that space during the weekends).  Besides, running the dojo was practically a vacation compared to dealing with pompous, prejudice politicians.  Despite having met a few who Hibiki could count as friends, the vast majority had left him with a constant, unpleasant image of oversized brats.  Dealing with them as brats would be easier, Hibiki found, since there’s no need to be quite so careful with their egos.  Their parents’ egos were an entirely different matter.

Turning down a side street that had multiple small, cookie-cutter houses, Hibiki walks up to a light yellow home that stands out slightly due to its color.  There is a small path that leads to the front door, accented by the placement of a small garden and diminutive shrubbery.

Pulling out a key, Hibiki quickly unlocks the door and steps inside.

“This is more home-y than I thought a constantly traveling diplomat would be allowed to keep,” Reborn says calmly, with slight undertones of suspicion and surprise as he observes the hallway, sitting room, and kitchen, all visible from the doorway.

Hibiki slips off his shoes and shrugs carefully with his right shoulder, before replying, “Well, I got out of that a few months ago, thank God.  Kids are so much easier to deal with than politicians. Plus I don’t have to wear a suit.”

Reborn studies the man as he’s set down on the counter while Hibiki begins to make the mackerel. Yes, this man would not want to be confined, much like him.

“Hm.”

Continuing to watch Hibiki’s movements, Reborn notes that his grace is unnatural even for a martial arts teacher – this man has fought in battles. Reborn doesn’t remember seeing any scars that night (2), but then, that was seven years ago and even the memories of the world’s greatest hitman become blurry with age and constant recall.

~IiI~

Setting a plate down in front of the adult trapped in a child’s body, Hibiki places his hands together and says, “Itadakimasu.”

Reborn performs a similar action.

Dinner is quiet until Reborn begins his interrogation.

“So, why did you leave the British diplomacy?”

Hibiki freezes slightly, which Reborn picks up on.  The jade eyes darken to a deep leaf green with memories that seem to be unpleasant. A part of Reborn actually regrets asking that question that invokes such a negative reaction from the man. But that part is very, very small and easily ignored.

A bitter laugh escapes the previously content man.  “You had to ask one of the hardest questions first, didn’t you?”

He shakes his head.  “Fine.

“Essentially I had the equivalent of celebrity status among certain groups for reasons that should have been attributed to my mother, but were instead focused on me. I entered the Foreign Service as a way to escape that attention, since it was predominantly focused in Britain. However, for years, whenever I returned from a successful negotiation, the press would mob me. My closest friends, who I had once considered family, turned out to be after my fame and fortune or believed that settling down would cause my problems to disappear.

“However, there are too many bad memories I associate with Britain, so I left with the help of my best friend’s younger sister, who I’d been pretending to date for the past 12 years, and another close friend, who got me here. I already had connections in Japan, so I made a new identity and thought to live my dream of teaching.

“So, tell me, Mr. Hitman, why are you here?”

That is enough to send Reborn into action, whipping Leon, in gun form, at Hibiki, who remains passive.

“What do you know?”  Reborn’s voice is cold as he trains Leon on Hibiki.

With an enigmatic smile, Hibiki replies, “Reborn, anyone with ears has heard of the “mafia game” that’s occurring in Namimori.  Also, you think all of my contacts are legal? You’re not that naïve. Much of the world’s governments are controlled by the underworld – most of which can be traced back to Italy if you have the time, money, patience, and means.”

Reborn’s glare intensifies.  A shot streams past Hibiki’s face, a single line of red marring his cream cheek.

Now it’s Hibiki’s turn to glare.  “Really? This is my favorite couch!  Do you honestly think I’m going to be a danger to your familia?  I have no interest in becoming involved with the mafia. I was simply curious as to where I’d heard your name before, Sun Arcobaleno.”

Another shot is fired at Hibiki, this one to kill.  It’s reflex by this point.  Reborn doesn’t know who Hibiki is, but to have some of the mafia’s deepest secrets spilled from the mouth of a foreigner is disconcerting to say the least. Especially since the man was supposed to be clean – Reborn had checked him out himself.

Dodging the bullet, which really shouldn’t have been possible at such a close range (not that it would have done much besides release Hibiki’s Dying Will – Reborn was really caught off guard if he forgot to change the bullets (3)), a red light catches Reborn in the chest.  The last thing the Arcobaleno hears is a weary sigh from Hibiki.

~IiI~

After what can’t have been more that a minute, Reborn awakens to find his body paralyzed. Glaring at the jade-eyed man, there is nothing more he can do than plot evil, sadistic vengeance.

Said man just smiles before a grim expression returns to his face.

“Merlin, I didn’t want to have to do that.  You’re just going to force me to tell you everything aren’t you, consequences to my life be damned.”

The glare says it all.

“Fine. By the Rings of the Vongola, by the graves of James Potter and Lily Evans, what I am about to tell you is the absolute truth.” With a flash of bright green light that Reborn identifies to be the color of Lightening flames, the room was still once more.  A sigh of relief escapes Hibiki as he mutters about demanding, paranoid hitmen.

With a glare that makes even Reborn feel a miniscule amount of fear, he begins the tale.

“Twenty six years ago, a mad-man under the assumed name of Voldemort attacked a small family…”

~IiI~

By the time 2 o’clock AM tolls on Hibiki’s clock, the majority of the story is outlined. While Reborn knows that some parts have been omitted, particularly large parts of the 4th year at the unnamed school, he knows that he’ll get no more out of the other man.

At some point the poison (4) Hibiki had administered to keep him paralyzed had worn off and Reborn had settled in the chair that he’d been lying upon, quite entranced by the story the other told.  Now, though, it was time to rest.  The others, Tsuna in particular, would be wondering where he’d been all evening.

Shifting to get up as Hibiki does, he’s surprised when wiry arms lift him from the seat.

“So, now that you’ve satisfied your paranoia (I hope – I thought Moody was bloody paranoid) let’s get to bed.”

Carrying the hitman, Hibiki climbs the stairs, before turning on the landing.

“There’s a guest room if you’d like to use it.”  He opens the door to an obviously unused room with a bed that’s covered with dust.

“Er, maybe not.  Um, I guess you can sleep with me then.”  Reborn just smirks. Hibiki rolls his eyes.

“It’s not like I’m going to do anything.  Seriously, you were great in bed, but I’m no pedophile.”

The master bedroom is sparsely furnished, everything packed or easily packable, leading credence to Hibiki’s story as both a continuously traveling diplomat and his year on the run. With very light cerulean walls, the room is peaceful, but cold from the lack of personal belongings.

“Now that you’ve finished observing my room for nonexistent threats, I’d like to sleep. I still have classes on Sundays, you know,” an amused, sleep deprived, and slightly annoyed Hibiki states.

“Hm.”

“Whatever. Good night, Reborn.”

“… _Buonanotte, Harry_. (5)”

~IiI~

Reborn awoke the next morning to find himself cuddled to Harry’s chest.  Checking the beat up clock on the nightstand, Reborn notes that he has to leave to wake Tsuna up for his training.  Glancing at the Brit, whose face is marred with a frown from the removal of his “stuffy toy,” Reborn can help the slight smile that graces his face. Placing a soft, chaste kiss on Harry’s – no it should be Hibiki’s, unless they’re alone and Reborn can tease the other man, - brow, Reborn hops off to leave a quick, uncharacteristic note. The man has earned his respect by explaining all that he’s able to while not giving away his organization during Reborn’s interrogation.  As much as it annoys him, he is more impressed.  It seems like he’s found a good partner, and this time he’s not letting go. Despite his previous ideas of not becoming attached, Hibiki is unique and a puzzle can’t be put away before it’s solved.

~IiI~

Hibiki wakes when Reborn leaves, but refuses to leave the bed until his usual wake up time, 30 minutes later. After quickly showering, he makes his way downstairs to eat breakfast, when he finds a note on the table.

**Hibiki,**

**Go to Tsuna’s house at 4 PM.**

**Reborn**

Sighing, Hibiki mutters, “No shit, Sherlock.  It’s not like I had anyone else over last night Reborn.” Then the actual content of the message penetrates his brain.  He groans.

“There goes my afternoon.”

~IiI~

“R-reborn! Why are we all meeting?” Tsuna stutters after a particularly traumatizing morning.

“Indeed! Why is Jyuudaime wasting his time with the Yakyū-baka (6)!”

“Haha. Maa, Gokudera, calm down. I’m sure the Baby has something important he wants to tell us.  What if Mukuro is back, trying to take over Tsuna’s body again?”

“No~! Jyuudaime, I’ll protect you from Mukuro by bombing him to death!”

“Maa, Gokudera, I didn’t say he was here, just that it could be something like that.” A fight proceeds to break out, as usual. Tsuna just responds with, “Hieeeee!”

“Hn.  Carnivore, why must I be here?”

“A strong person is coming. You can fight him.”

“EXTREME! This must be a very EXTREME person if Reborn thinks they are strong!”

“Merlin’s saggy left – Reborn!  Really! I am not at your beck and call to fight your students!”

The entire group turns as one to stare at the newcomer.

“Eh?  Hibiki-san?  Why are you here?”

Hibari attacks before Hibiki begins to respond to Tsuna’s question.

Hibiki sighs as he dodges Hibari’s tonfa.  “Hibari. You fought me yesterday. Must we go through this AGAIN!”

In a lightening fast move, Hibiki slams his hand against Hibari’s solar plexus in the span of less than a second when the Cloud Guardian’s guard is open.

While the teen is propelled back, Hibiki sighs again.

“Look. I’ll fight you again tomorrow, K?”

Hibari considers, and then nods, putting his tonfa away (or at least out of sight).

“Great… Now, Tsuna, I’m here because that midget,” he dodges the shot, “left me a note to come here at 4 PM after a night spent catching up.”

Tsuna nods, but Gokudera narrows his eyes.

“How do you know Jyuudaime and Reborn?”

“Tsuna? Him I know because he dashed into my dojo one day about six months back to escape some bullies. I gave him a cup of tea and we talked. He’s come back a few times every week except recently, presumably since he’s got you lot to deal with.

“Reborn I know because of a one-night stand in Italy about seven years ago, when he was actually taller than me.”

The looks on everyone’s faces after that were priceless.  Gokudera looks slightly disturbed at someone who is willing to so bluntly state a one-night stand for what it was (which, really, he was in the underworld for some time with TRIDENT SHAMAL of all people.  Maybe it’s just Reborn/Reborn’s reputation?).  Yamamoto is shocked.  Tsuna looks like he’s going to die from shock and exposure to the concept of sex. Ryohei doesn’t seem to quite get it, but is also surprised that someone who Reborn knew isn’t trying to kill one of them for once.  Hibari is shocked as well, if the widening of his eyes is anything to go by and the fact that he’s nearly slipped off the windowsill, but is trying to cover it up. Lambo couldn’t stay in the room long enough to meet Hibiki and Chrome is communicating with Mukuro

With a snigger, Hibiki says, “Well, now that I’ve destroyed their minds, I’m leaving.  Send Chrome by sometime Reborn.”  And with that, he walked out.

* * *

**Notes/Translations:**

(1) It’s really, really yummy, but I’m not sure exactly when it would be considered “in season” so if it’s more of a winter dish, sorry. It’s not winter – it’s probably more along the lines of summer or fall even if that doesn't align with the cannon.

(2) They’re glamoured.

(3) Reborn manually inserts the DW bullets, I know, but I also figure that he could will them to change, since they’re in Leon.

(4) Reborn still doesn’t know about magic, he thought the stunner was a weak Storm attack.

(5) Google Translate: Good night.

(6) Yakyū-baka: Baseball Idiot

* * *

So, this hasn't really been edited much, so forgive any OOC-ness.  I'll work on it...er, sometime (really, the only thing delaying me is my unwillingness to deal with the formatting for Ao3).  I'm trying to get the rest of the chapters up this week, since I updated on FFN last week.

I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Mind Bleach, Experiments, and Training Deals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> /Harry/ is thought  
> “/Harry/” is Italian
> 
>  
> 
> Important: I shall be out of contact for the next 8 weeks or so. I am attending a summer language emersion program to improve my Japanese, and so will not be writing anything in English (or, I'm going to try real hard not to). Thus, I'm not updating anything until mid-August. Feel free to continue to comment, etc. They always leave me with a smile on my face, but please bear with me as it will take me until mid- to late August to reply. This message applies to ALL my stories (unless you'd like to see them in 3rd grade Japanese).
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 

There is dead silence in the room containing the majority of Tsuna’s guardians for the first time, ever.  While Reborn would love to bask in it, he knows it’s the “calm before the storm.” Sure enough, people begin to shake off their shock.

Hibari is first, no surprise there, to get up and leave, but not before give Reborn an indecipherable look.  Reborn would almost call it…protective of Hibiki, but it’s probably more along the lines of possessive – Hibari wouldn’t want Reborn to steal his only readily available and capable opponent.  That must have been it.

Gokudera is next.  Having spent his early years with his family in the mafia, he knows he can’t be out of commission for too long, and mental images aside, being paralyzed from shock does count as being incapacitated.  He checks on Tsuna before muttering unsteadily, “Jyuudaime, I-I’m going h-home now…” Gokudera leaves, staggering slightly.

Reborn is impressed that Hibiki had managed to destabilize Gokudera to the point that he didn’t register that Tsuna was still unconscious.  However, accounting for Gokudera’s childhood spent in the presence of Trident Shamal…  That could explain why Hibiki’s statement had such an effect.  Hopefully the kid would realize that Hibiki wasn’t going to do anything, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t.

Yamamoto is third. He just blinks, shakes his head, and glances over at Tsuna.  “Maa, Tsuna’s still out huh?  Wow, he is really innocent.” Turning to Reborn, the swordsman-in-training says, “Congratulations, Baby.  I’m glad you found him again!”

Reborn narrows his eyes. He didn’t think he’d said anything about wanting to find Harry/Hibiki again.

Calm, calculating eyes stare back. “You relaxed slightly.”

Keeping his face blank and tipping his fedora forward so that his eyes can’t be seen, Reborn’s eyes widen. He’d relaxed?  He hadn’t noticed.  That was unacceptable for the World’s Greatest Hitman.

“Well,” the teen says with his smile back in place, brushing his pants off, “I’d better get going! Pop’ll need help and I’ve got some more training to do!  Bye, Baby.”

A few more minutes pass until Tsuna sits bolt upright with a, “HIEEEEEE!” that Reborn swears caused a minor earthquake to shake Namimori and the surrounding areas. Maybe that could be used as an attack…? No.  An attack named “The ‘Hiee-Scream'” was not a move benefitting a boss.

“Shut up, Dame-Tsuna. Hibari will be back if you keep that up.”  Reborn says before hitting the poor teen with a Leon hammer.

Having brought Tsuna’s attention back to reality and forcing Tsuna to focus on him, Reborn was only mildly surprised when the teen fainted again after trying to comprehend the idea of a one-night stand.

Reborn sighed and tipped his fedora forward, recalling the conversation he’d had earlier with Iemitsu. _Tsuna still has a lot to learn_ , Reborn muses as he cocks Leon in gun form, taking aim at the prone figure.

~IiI~

            _“He cannot be serious.”_

_“He is. You know I don’t like this any better than you do, Reborn.  It is my son’s life that is at stake.”_

_“They’ve had barely six months of training.”_

_“He knows.”_

_“…Shit.”_

_“That bad?”_

_“…You know Xanxus as well as I do.  Tsuna is the type of person he loathes.”_

_“…Right.”_

_“I’m glad Hibiki is here, then. I’ll have some help besides Colonello and Dino.”_

_“Who?”_

_“…A man I shall be entertained to see you meet.”_

_“…!”_

_“Ciao, Iemitsu.”_

~IiI~

Hibiki is just sitting down for dinner when his doorbell rings. Sighing, he walks to open the door, although he already knew who it would be.

“Konbanwa, Dokuro Chrome, or should I call you Rokudo Mukuro right now?”

The heterochromatic eyes stare up at him, analyzing, as the shadows stretch and morph into unidentifiable shapes.  The man (you couldn’t really call Mukuro a kid) laughs; it’s a sharp sound that’s painful to the ears, as he attempts to discover what would break Hibiki.

When after several more moments, Mukuro is still unable to discover what would destroy the man’s mind and he’s reduced to snarling.

Hibiki, for his part, is amused.

“Rokudo-san, I know exactly what I’m afraid of.  Unfortunately, you cannot make it happen.  Come in and have some dinner.  We can talk about Chrome and your training over dinner.”

Mukuro has little choice but to accept.  Nagi will not receive any training otherwise and he needs her to be strong.

“Oh, I might be able to help her with her internal problems.  It would put less strain on you.”

Now its Mukuro’s turn to stare in shock, “Her organs are destroyed.”

Hibiki shrugs. “Yes, so I gather. I can still heal them.”

Mukuro narrows his eyes, but is interrupted. “No, I don’t want anything in return. Now, eat!”

Starting slightly in surprise, Mukuro notices that a plate of food has been set in front of where he is currently standing.  Still suspicious, he sits slowly and pokes his food.

“It’s not poisoned and I can actually cook.”

That comment receives Hibiki another glare, but Mukuro begins to eat.  He can’t have Chrome starve either and teenaged boys aren’t exactly the best nutritionists.

~IiI~

“So, what organs is she missing exactly,” Hibiki asks as they finish dinner.

Mukuro smirks.  “I thought you already knew?” he asks, mocking.

Hibiki just levels him a flat look.  “No, I said I knew she had severely damaged organs, not that I knew exactly what she was missing.  Are you going to tell me or do I have to run a diagnosis?”

The smirk is quickly replaced with a slight scowl.  “She’s missing her liver, kidneys, and potions of her small intestine.  The majority of her small intestine is damaged, along with parts of her large intestine. There was some damage to her stomach, but not enough for permanent damage.  There is the possibility that some portions of her lower left lung is damaged, but I still have yet to find out.  I’ve been maintaining an illusion of a healthy lower lung there, since there has not been an opportunity to have it checked (1).  I wouldn’t trust Nagi with that pervert Shamal.”

Hibiki frowns slightly as he notes these organs down on a random sheet of paper.

“You’re maintaining these by yourself while you’re in the prison?”

Mukuro gives Hibiki a smirk and says in a contemptuous tone. “Obviously.”

Hibiki chuckles, “You sound like my old chemistry professor. No, I’m just confirming that because 1) if something happens to make you lose the connection with Chrome-chan, there could be a problem if the … medicine isn’t ready and 2) it’s putting a strain on you as well.

“The continuous strain on your powers and your psyche will obviously increase as the years pass. I understand that Chrome-chan is your connection to the outside world, but you can’t keep using you powers like this.  Certainly, you can passively view the world through her eyes in a continuous flame exercise and as a way to keep your mind stable.  However, in the end, your current usage and her reliance on your flames will only hurt you both, especially since Chrome is emotionally dependent on you.”

Mukuro glowers at the idea that he’s making himself weaker, but Nagi still needs his help. He’d just have to make her stronger.

“So,” Hibiki continues, ignoring Mukuro’s glare again, “I can make the potions and teach Chrome-chan some hand to hand combat.  Deal?”

Mukuro’s face turns conniving. “Indeed.  And what do you get out of this deal?”

Hibiki smiles. “Entertainment in the form of watching you squirm.  You realize that this is the best deal you’re going to get.  Reborn won’t allow for Chrome-chan to be trained for another couple of years, if at all, because he’s relying on you possessing her to win all their battles and he doesn’t want to give you another weapon with which to wound Tsuna if you continue with your desire to possess him instead.”

Mukuro freezes. Hibiki continues, ruthlessly. “I wouldn’t recommend possessing Tsuna, though.  Your mind and his are incompatible, even if you have illusions to compensate. Eventually his innocence will corrupt your anger and malice, an incredibly painful process for both people involved. I’m not sure you’d survive, what with your body in the care of the Vicendi.  The only reason that that hasn’t happened with Chrome-chan is the fact that the two of you share the same type of flame with very similar frequencies.”

“And how would you know I would be corrupted and not the other way around?”  Mukuro’s face is blank, signaling that Hibiki has quite easily deduced exactly what Mukuro’s plan’s are, making the illusionist suspicious as to how the other man knows what the potential consequences could be.

Hibiki gave a smirk. “Well, the reverse certainly didn’t happen when a man tried to possess me as a child.  But, you may be an exception to prove the rule.”  He raises his hands in a shrug.  “Just remember Chrome-chan before you try, yeah?”

Mukuro continues to glare. Hibiki sighs.  “Look, I’ll help train you, too, in breaking into a person’s mind. That might help you escape. OK?”

“… _Si, crazy foreigner._ ”

Hibiki laughs, “ _If I’m crazy, then are you bat-shit insane?_ ”

A disappearing grin is Hibiki’s only answer as Chrome is left in charge of her own body once again.

~IiI~

After explaining his deal with Mukuro to Chrome, Hibiki walks her back to Kokuyo land once winning a small argument.

“No one should be out this late alone, even if you have flame powers. I’ll walk you back.”

“Ah, but then you’re out alone.”

Hibiki gives her a smirk.  “I can take care of myself, Chrome-chan.  Don’t worry. Mukuro wouldn’t let me train you if I wasn’t accomplished, don’t you think?”

Blushing, Chrome nods and affirmative.

~IiI~

Upon reaching the rundown amusement park, Hibiki whistles, “Damn, I knew that it was rundown, but this is almost decrepit!”

“I-it’s not that bad, inside…” Chrome says, embarrassed despite herself at the state of her “home.”

Hibiki raises his eyebrows. “Really,” he says, his tone one of utter disbelief.

“…yes?”

“And how much better is it?”

“…a little.”

Hibiki sighs. “Alright, grab the other two, you’re staying with me.”

Chrome looks at him in surprise.

Hibiki just looks back. “I’m not kidding. You three can come live with me if you’re still uncomfortable around the rest of the Vongola. I don’t plan on getting involved and you’ll be learning from me anyways.”

“B-but you don’t have enough room,” Chrome points out.  Hibiki’s house is very similar to Tsuna’s.  He has rooms for a study, a guest room, and the master room on the second floor. Chrome knows that despite entrusting her safety to Ken and Chikusa, he still doesn’t want her rooming with them.

As if reading her mind, Hibiki smiles, “Don’t worry.  Space is the least of the problem.  First we have to get the other two to my house without causing too much of a ruckus.”

Chrome looks thoughtful for a moment.  “Um… you could just knock them out?”

Hibiki does a double take. _Seriously, Chrome-chan’ll just allow me to knock the other out like that?  I think Mukuro IS corrupting her…_

“If that’s fine with you, makes my life a lot easier!”

~IiI~

Setting the bodies down in the bare, newly created room, Hibiki cracks his back. Carrying the boys is easier than it should have been given their age, but obviously they haven’t been eating properly to regain the nutrients they lost from their stint in prison.

Sighing, Hibiki conjures two beds and lays one boy on each. They’ll have to go shopping tomorrow if the majority of the day isn’t spent fighting.

With Chrome settled in the now dust-free guest room, Hibiki makes his way to the study, where he’d been trying to locate scraps of information on the Arcobaleno curse.

~IiI~

Leaning back in his chair to stretch as the clock strikes one, Hibiki glances at the last piece of information he’s recently acquired. It makes him pause.

With a sigh of exasperation (seriously, who could make the cure THAT easy?), Hibiki picks up a scrap of paper and jots down a note for Reborn.

He waves his hand, sending the paper to the Sawada home, more specifically, to land on top of a sleeping fedora-wearing hitman.  Then he pries himself from the comfortable leather seat to move down to the basement where his potions room is located.  He won’t be getting any sleep tonight, that’s for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) I'm not sure how much of Nagi/Chrome's medical history Mukuro really had a chance to learn. At this point, I'm guessing he's simply sustaining whatever hurts to the best of his ability. While in order to provide realistic illusions and thus trap people within them, in addition to his time spent with the Estraneo, Mukuro is in not a physician nor is he able to walk Chrome into a clinic and have them check her out without his support, so the specifics of Chrome's injuries are a little fuzzy.
> 
> Also, before anyone points out that I have Hibiki add "-san" to the end of Mukuro's name, here's the reasoning: 1) Hibiki respects the hell out of Mukuro for his accomplishments. He doesn't necessarily condone them (far too much blood shed, for all the horrors the people of the Estraneo), but he can respect the teen breaking the cage he was trapped in. 2) Mukuro is, for all intents and purposes, not simply a kid. He's slaughtered, knowingly, how many scientists and doctors? Let alone other people that have been in his way over the years? Add to that, leading Ken and Chikusa while plotting to over throw the mafia and destroy the world? I do not believe Mukuro to be a child -- and Hibiki reflects this opinion. 3) It's a matter of establishing a relationship. Hibiki is demonstrating that he's not going to treat Mukuro like a child, but as an equal, and not assume any more familiarity than he already assumes by knowing Mukuro's name.
> 
> *looks up at the paragraph* Ok, I think that's all.
> 
> Please leave a review! More chapters shall be up shortly.
> 
> ~Fini~


	5. A Note, Potential, and a Dance Contest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Bold = note  
> Italics = thoughts  
> "Underline" = English/spell  
> ~ILI~ = unwitten lemon
> 
> Important: I will be out of contact until mid-August -- I'm going to a summer language emersion program for 8 weeks starting Friday. During those 8 weeks, I will be attempting to keep all communication in Japanese -- the language in which I'm trying to improve. Please feel free to continue leaving comments, etc, but keep in mind it will take me much longer to reply than normal. For that, I ask for your patience.
> 
> Without further ado, on with the story!

* * *

 

When Reborn wakes the next morning, he is treated to the sight of a piece of paper obscuring his vision.  Lifting the thick paper, he reads:

**Reborn,**

**Get your arse over here if you want any chance of having sex ever again.**

**Hibiki**

Chuckling, Reborn reads between the lines, and with excitement flooding his veins, realizes that Hibiki has found a potential solution to the de-age-ment of the Arcobaleno.

Quickly changing from his pajamas to his usual suit, Reborn quietly leaves the Sawada household wearing a smirk.  He doesn’t bother waking Tsuna up.  It’s a school day and the boy will receive enough punishment from a certain cloud if he doesn’t make it to school on time, as usual.

~IiI~

Suddenly appearing on the step of Hibiki’s home, Reborn prepares to use Leon to ring the doorbell, when the door swings open of it’s own accord. Curious about the door, but more focused on finding the solution that almost all of the Arcobaleno suffer from, Reborn continues in and the door swings shut behind him.

Catching sight of Hibiki at the kitchen table, Reborn wanders over, only to appear directly in front of the (currently) taller man.

Said man is arranging a series of flasks containing various colored liquids, labeling them in cramped, but fairly neat script.  With Reborn’s presence on the table, Hibiki ceases his work.

Without further ado, Hibiki snatches a small vial from a rack on the table and holds it in front of Reborn.

“This is a temporary ageing potion. I’ve got 27 drops in here, which should add 27 years to the two you already have (1).  Theoretically, the ingredients within the potion should negate the curse for a day, leaving you with the body of a 29 year old for that amount of time.  Should this work, without negative consequences, I’ll look into seeing how the permanent potion would react, k?  If this does work, you’ll need to call together all of the Arcobaleno.  Even Skull.” 

Hibiki’s eyes narrow when they see the annoyance displayed on Reborn’s face at the mention of the Cloud Arcobaleno. Hibiki notes that for some reason, Reborn doesn’t seem to have an aversion to essentially being a guinea pig for this, but he figures that despite Reborn’s calm exterior, he still wants his adult body back.  However, his reaction to Skull’s name bears more importance at the moment.

“Don’t make me do something drastic,” is Reborn’s only warning. Hibiki doubts it will be enough, but at least he has his own ways of contacting the stuntman if Reborn doesn’t follow though.  Being sadistic is one thing, but bullying is a whole other can of worms that Hibiki won’t let go unanswered. Besides, this’ll give him an excuse (not that he needs one, really) to prank the hitman.

“Now,” Hibiki stands and stretches, “I’ll take you to the master bedroom.”

Upon reaching the room, Hibiki continues his instructions, this time in a softer voice so as not to wake his three new charges.  One more so than the other two.

“Change your clothes (or at least strip), and take the potion.  It’ll taste nasty, and there might be some pain, but I’m 95% sure it will work. Come find me when you’re done – it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes, but feel free to take a shower – you’ll probably need it.”

Reborn nods and Hibiki exists to enter his study instead of returning to labeling the potions. He needs to find all the contact information for those Arcobaleno that he does know from his diplomatic excursions. Just because he didn’t become an Auror, doesn’t mean that trouble stopped following him. Quite the opposite in fact. He probably found more trouble as a diplomat than he could as an Auror and isn’t that a conundrum.

Releasing his hair from the high knot it’s been in to prevent it from entering any of the potions that he had began or finished brewing, Hibiki relaxes in his chair at his desk. Even though it’s only been one night that he’s been entirely deprived of sleep, the inherent magic and concentration needed for potion making drained his energy severely.

Hibiki sighs and runs a hand through his hair, grimacing at the greasy feel.  He regrets calling Snape a “greasy git.” While the man was more than a bit of a git towards him, it’s not like the man could help having greasy hair, what with being locked in the dungeons with a bunch of brats for the entire day, almost everyday.

With another sigh, he downs a Pepper Up potion and gets to work.

~IiI~

Reborn quickly strips in Hibiki’s room, once the door is closed. As much as he’s tried to hide it, he’s excited.  Now, he removes his ‘mask’, freeing his emotions.  It is a time to celebrate, if it works, and not even he could take it calmly.

While he was relatively content with his life as an Arcobaleno (after all it acknowledges his supremacy as the number one hitman) he was resigned to his fate.  He’d never been truly happy. Now he has a chance to get his own life back.

He downs the viscous liquid in one swallow, grimacing at the taste. Hibiki hadn’t been lying; it tastes like mold, dead skin, and sunshine.

Soon he’s on the floor when his knees give out to grow and his body stretches, reconfiguring itself to his proper age.  His hands grow, arms lengthen, legs extend beyond a foot from his body.  It’s an odd feeling. Disconnected from the world, watching as if the changes occur to a stranger.

Time has no meaning during his growth, so Reborn isn’t sure if ten minutes have passed yet, but it seems as if he’s stopped growing.  He’s looking forward to that shower as he stretches luxuriously, as he’s never quite been able to in he form of a two year old. Might have something to do with the fact that his arms can’t reach too far over his head…

Sweat and something that smells reminiscent of the “cure” are sluiced from his body as the warm water covers him in the shower.

Once clean, Reborn attempts to find something to wear, a problem he really should have thought of before taking the temporary cure.  _This is why I don’t let my emotions get the best of me like Ryohei.  I forget something,_ Reborn growled to himself, finally finding a bathrobe after dripping all over the room (2).

~IiI~

Hibiki is soon interrupted by a half-remembered mouth claiming his own. He leans into the kiss as he mentally curses the Pepper Up potion’s side effects – beyond the initial smoking ears. It compensates for the exhaustion of the user by redirecting the magic and concentration to fewer tasks, giving only a slight boost of energy, hence his dulled senses (3).  It’s also the reason why it shouldn’t be used repeatedly for a pick-me-up – tunnel vision sets in.

Thankfully Reborn has closed the door, as papers and clothes go flying while Hibiki activates a privacy ward and is simultaneously assaulted by Reborn’s mouth and wandering hands.  He’ll have enough problems with Mukuro’s…minions without their first meeting being while he’s having sex.

Reborn completely captures all his available attention (can’t be unprepared for an attack), and that’s his last completely coherent thought for the next three hours.

~ILI~

Chrome woke when the front door closed, despite the late night. Her upbringing and the recent events surrounding her haven’t allowed for such a sound to go unnoticed. Quietly, she waits to see if the newcomer will enter the second floor.

When footsteps eventually tell of someone ascending the staircase, Chrome feigns sleep, in case whoever it is enters her room.  She thinks that Hibiki is trustworthy, but Mukuro-sama has taught her that she can never be too careful.

Hearing a soft murmuring emanating from the direction that Hibiki indicated his room was the night before; Chrome assumes that Reborn or another Arcobaleno has come to visit. Hibiki would have carried him up the stairs and his study is that way, too (4).

The murmurs cease and a moment later, someone closes the door and heads further away from Chrome’s room.

Realizing that she likely won’t return to sleep due to the unknown presence within the house, Chrome sit up to see if she can contact Mukuro-sama.  Upon discovering that she cannot, she resigns herself to waiting. Hibiki-san didn’t tell her any rules last night, not that she would have really remembered them, but everyone has rules and she doesn’t want to accidentally break one.  There are always consequences to broken rules.

~IiI~

 _Finally!_ Hibiki thinks to himself when Reborn leaves after his third shower.  _That man is insatiable!_

Shaking his head at his own folly for imagining anything else from the hitman, Hibiki moves to knock on Chrome’s door to wake her.  He doubts she really slept though everything (he certainly didn’t when newcomers came to the Dursleys or entered his old dorm room), but he could hope.

True to his prediction, Chrome-chan is awake and has been so for a while, if her quick response is anything to go by.

Giving her a slight smile, he says, “Hey, sleep well?”

She nods.  He observes her for a moment before deciding that she’s telling the truth.

“Great! Let’s have breakfast!”

~IiI~

Thirty minutes later, there’s a hodgepodge of Japanese and British foods on the table.

 Just before sitting down to eat, Hibiki realizes that yes, there are people missing breakfast.  With a sigh, he wanders upstairs to gather the other two.

A quick “Evenerate” later and two groggy boys are attempting to attack him. While he understands the reaction very well, it still annoys him – he’s hungry!

Continuing to dodge the attacks from a yo-yo and the boy who keeps trying to take a bite out of him, Harry casts two Body Bind curses.  A quiet “locamotor mortis” later and both boys are downstairs, in front of Chrome and breakfast glaring holes in Hibiki’s skull (5). Really, he was quite fortunate that they weren’t altered to have lasers for eyes.

“Eat,” Hibiki demands, then releases the spells.  “Chrome-chan helped make it, I assure you it isn’t poisoned. Even Mukuro ate some of my cooking yesterday and he’d deny it but I’m fairly certain he enjoyed it.”

With a look at the other, then Chrome, who’d already begun to eat after a quiet, “Itadakimasu,” they began to eat heartily.

Hibiki eats his own food at a slower pace with a slight smile on his face. His home is getting livelier.

~IiI~

After breakfast was completed, the dishes placed in the dishwasher, Hibiki brings his three charges down to the basement.  Courtesy of multiple extension charms, his basement now contains a large training room, a smaller training room/meditation room, a potions lab, a storage chamber for his potions, and something along the lines of an armory.

“Alright, you three.  I’m taking you lot in because Kokuyo land is nearly uninhabitable.  Feel free to use it as a hang out, but you’re back here for dinner and unless you fix it up, I’m not letting you sleep there. So, ground rules.” Here Chrome tenses up, while the animal boy looks rebellious and the other indifferent.  Hibiki’s face is completely serious.

“Rule 1: Don’t kill each other.”  The boys look at him as if he were crazy, why would they try to kill each other, aside from when someone really annoyed the other?  Even then it was just a matter of waiting for Ken to calm down.

“Rule 2: Train hard, but don’t over do it.”  Ok, the boys could deal with that.  Chrome’s face takes on a look of determination.  She wouldn’t be a burden to her Boss or Mukuro-sama.

“Rule 3: If, in any situation, you need help, ask.”  They all blanche at this, to varying degrees, but the look in Hibiki’s eyes brooks no arguments, despite how much Ken wants to.

“Rule 4: Have fun.”  Fun?

“Rule 5: You’re responsible for your room and certain chores.” Ken makes a face, but the other two nod.

“And that’s about it! I can write those down later, but now that we’ve got those established, it’s time for training!”

The three teens were nonplussed at the change in demeanor of their new guardian.

“Chikusa, Ken,” the two named look at the older man, wondering how he knew their names.  They brush it off with the thought that Mukuro must have told him.  Hibiki was just glad that he had received their files last night – this morning would have been more interesting otherwise.  Let it not be said that Mukuro could, very occasionally, be helpful. When it suited him, of course.

“You’ll take this room. There’s a simulation system that I’ll start up, while I take Chrome-chan and work with her, alright?”

They nod, wary that he’s removing the girl Mukuro told them to protect, but since she seems calm, they agree.

“Great! Now Chrome-chan I’ll be taking you to the smaller training room.”  As they leave, Hibiki waves his hand, beginning the simulation. The boys attack as large, black-cloaked individuals fly at them.

~IiI~

“Now, Chrome-chan, what we’re going to do is work on your footwork and your confidence.”

She nods, slightly hesitantly.

Hibiki smiles.  “You’re going to want to let your hair down for this,” he says while doing something similar and shaking out his hair.

Chrome slowly pulls out her hair tie, allowing her purple hair to frame her face.

Hibiki nods approvingly.  He then wanders over to a sound system in the wall and selects a song.  Suddenly guitar and drums fill the air, as the vocals begin and Hibiki starts to dance.

“Nothing I say comes out right,

I can’t love without a fight,

No one ever knows my name,

When I pray for sun it rains.

I’m so sick of wasting time,

But nothing’s moving in my mind.

Inspiration can’t be found

I get up and fall, but…”

Hibiki sways and moves to the beat, twisting his body, moving his feet, all in fluid dance that fits him.  Slowly, the song gets to Chrome as well, the beats are fairly fast and even though she doesn't know what all the words mean, she likes the ones she does understand. On the next chorus, she’s joining in too.

“I’m ALIVE!

I’m ALIVE, oh yeah.

Between the good and bad’s where you’ll find me

Reaching for Heaven.

I will fight

And I’ll sleep when I die,

I live, my life, I’m ALIVE!”

Soon Chrome is even laughing as the song switches to another. For the next thirty minutes the two are dancing; with each other, alone, it doesn’t matter. For Chrome, this is a realization of what "fun" might be.

“Wow, Chrome-chan,” Hibiki says at the end of thirty minutes, having worked up a light sweat.  “You’ve got talent! The first time I danced, I was all over the place and looked like I had two left feet I borrowed from a duck!”

Chrome turns a light pink under the praise.  Now the songs slow for the cool down, though they remain upbeat in their content and messages.

Once Hibiki signals the end of the cool down, they stretch and Hibiki motions for Chrome to join him on the comfortable mats in one of the corners.

“Okay. Since we’ve finished the warm up, we’ll take a short break so I can begin to teach you to hone your illusion abilities.”

Chrome nods in excitement.  There is only so much one can learn on one’s own, despite Mukuro’s attempts to help.

“Now, what I’m going to do is help you focus more on the minute details that comprise your illusions.  Also, once I see how adept you are, we’ll see how good you are at forcing another’s mind into an illusion, without manifesting the illusion in the real world, and still forcing them to believe it’s real.”

Chrome nodded again.  She was fairly confident in her ability to manifest the illusions in reality, but the second idea confused her.  When she thought about it a little, she figured that it would be better explained as trapping the mind to trap the body.  After all, the body is controlled by the mind.

“Great! Let’s get started.”

~IiI~

Hibiki had Chrome materialize various objects, animal, and even change her face into those of other people -- testing her grasp on her powers.  Some of the objects and animals were commonplace and easily manifested by Chrome. The harder aspects were when Hibiki would show her a picture or just describe an object and force her to at least try to create it.  If it wasn’t right, he’d describe it again, pointing out which details were missing or the most important.  Overall, it forced Chrome to stretch her imagination – something she hadn’t been allowed to do for quite some time.  Even under Mukuro’s tutelage, she had manifested fairly ordinary things, leaving the harder animals and objects to Mukuro himself.  Still, Mukuro wasn’t too creative in illusions outside of torture, which had resulted in Chrome limiting herself to similar aspects.  Mukuro-sama certainly hadn’t attempted to create and entire stadium filled with a seven-story dragon unleashing its fury on the world. Perhaps he might now. The dragon could be a good pet for him. It was very spikey.

Giggling to herself at her randomized thoughts, Chrome is oblivious to Hibiki’s soft smile.  He was happy that she was having such fun, reminding him a bit of himself from the early years at Hogwarts. Despite Ron’s aversion to learning, Hibiki was quite the opposite – he just hated sticking to theory. It was magic, things were going to occur that no one had an explanation for – that was a given. Why someone needed any more than that, Hibiki wasn’t quite sure.  Of course, he knew why there were theories, but everything that he tried (if he tried hard enough, with enough concentration) had generally worked. But then, he was much more focused on practical application anyways.

A timer pings, indicating that lunchtime has arrived, so Hibiki stands, assisting Chrome.

“You did marvelously today, Chrome-chan!  Now we’ll gather the boys and grab some lunch, k?”

She nods again and then looks hesitantly at Hibiki.

“Um, will you teach me to fight?”  Chrome asks meekly.  She’s now surprisingly relatively comfortable with Hibiki, but she has only known him for a day and Mukuro-sama hadn’t told her what the deal he made with Hibiki was.

Hibiki gives her a gentle smile.  “Of course.  Entering the mafia is dangerous and all the women I know in it could kick my ass from here to the moon and back, at least once!  Your training will begin after lunch.  But,” Hibiki’s smile disappeared, “it will be hard.  You can’t falter and you must desire to be stronger for a good reason. Power is not enough, but I think you already know that.”

Chrome looks at the darkened jade eyes that study her and sees aspects of herself looking back.  He knows the pain, despair, and emptiness that viciously grips those whose parents do not care – that continues to do so even when they are physically removed from that place.  He’s seen the void and returned.  Not whole, no one returns whole from such an ordeal, but he’s still alive and stronger for it.

Her own eyes darken in response as she searches for her reason. She wants to become stronger for Mukuro-sama who saved her, for her Boss who’s given her a place, for this man she barely knows but who’s accepted her even though she’s a stranger, for all those who were never given a second chance like her.  Chrome pulls from her thoughts and in a voice she doesn’t know she possesses, she says firmly, “Yes.  I will become strong for all those who have supported me, for all those who would otherwise be set to fail.  Boss seems like he will make the world better.  I will care for those who suffer in this world so that they may see the new one Boss will create.”

Hibiki smiles again. “That’s a good answer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Reborn will be 29. If that isn’t his actual age, I don’t really care – it’s in the ballpark…I think. And hey, if he’s a few years younger (or even older), why should he complain? Also, I know that Fred and George use an Ageing Potion in GoF and take a few drops to age a few months, but I didn’t really want to subject Hibiki to making a vat per Arcobaleno. Although it would be funny to see them try and drink it… YES! He says potion. Sleep depravation will loosen tongues (or it does for me after enough time – if you can actually get me to stay on one topic, that is).  
> (2) XD It was an entertaining though! Reborn running around like Ryohei – I’m pretty sure the world would explode.  
> (3) My own version of the Pepper Up potion side effects, I know.  
> (4) Not sure she knows of Lal yet.  
> (5) Yes, Hibiki is using a lot of magic around muggles, but they’ll think its poison again and some creative use of wire. Also, they’re not really muggles…
> 
> Song:  
> "I’m Alive" by Becca from Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler
> 
> Please leave a review?
> 
> ~Fini~


	6. This. Is. SPARTA!  Or not....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Collonello. Also, not as much editing done here. Oh well.

Smoke flows from the room as continuous shouts and sounds of general violence and mayhem besiege the two’s eardrums.  When enough smoke clears, the small form of Colonello can be seen on a rock outcropping, firing an array of weapons at both the dark figures and the two battered forms of Ken and Chikusa.

Upon seeing the new presence, Chrome makes to hide behind Hibiki, but noticing the state her “bodyguards” are in, slowly moves to stand beside Hibiki.  Although she’s trembling, Hibiki is impressed that so soon after coming into his care, she’s standing up in situations that could have had her cowering and relying completely on Mukuro in the past (1).

Despite his pride in Chrome’s quick advancement in self-confidence and his amusement at Colonello’s antics, Hibiki is not pleased by the state the boys are in.  With a flick of his wrist, Hibiki ends the simulation.

“Saa, Colonello, next time ring the doorbell instead of beating up my wards, yeah?  I still have to deal with Hibari later today.”

The small blond focuses his attention on the taller male after surveying the damage. “Ah, sorry Harry-san, kora. That bastard Reborn said that you had found a temporary cure for us and your door was open so I just came in, kora. That’s fine, right?” Colonello says, more than slightly worried.

Hibiki smiles and shakes his head.  “No, it’s fine. Don’t try and kill my boys again, though, alright?”

“Fine… You do know that they work for Mukuro right?  Of course you do-”

“Colonello, I worked out a deal with Mukuro,” came the amused interruption.

“Sure you did – what? Really?  Damn, I know you were good, Harry-san, but are you sure, kora?”

“Yes, it benefits the both of us quite nicely, as Chrome-chan here gets tutoring and I get to teach a willing student.  Also, it’s Hibiki now, Colonello.”

~IiI~

Chrome follows the conversation carefully.  She temporarily fears that Hibiki-san would tell the Arcobaleno that he didn’t really want her, but that would have eased her paranoia in thinking that Hibiki-san was lying about wanting her.  No one wanted her except for Mukuro-sama, although even he wanted her for reasons beyond her own person.

Despite her worries and fears, with the attention off of her, she realizes that it’s surprisingly easy to prevent her from hiding herself entirely.  She still isn’t comfortable, but it’s at least bearable. No doubt, much of this could be attributed to the session she’d had with the green-eyed male whom she, just realizing now, had grown incredibly close to in the very short time that she’d known him. Much of this can be attributed to the surprisingly calm air around the man, but there is a remarkable amount of empathy between the two of them…

~IiI~

“Since you’re here, you might as well stay for lunch after you get the temporary cure. I hope you hadn’t eaten anything before coming here.”

With a shake of his head, Colonello hops off the rock.  Hibiki moves and lifts the Arcobaleno onto his shoulder, silently casting a Locamotor Mortis on the boys for the second time that day.  With a simple signal to Chrome, the motley group ascends the stairs.

Setting the boys on the couch, seeing as they wouldn’t stay upright in a kitchen chair, Hibiki searches through the various vials that contain the assortment of concoctions that he had created earlier that day.

Finally finding the one vial for the “baby” Hibiki lifts the vial to the Arcobaleno’s eye level. “This is your dose of the temporary cure.  It should last for a full 24 hours.  If you experience any pain or other symptoms, write it down and if it doesn’t go away in an hour, come back.  I don’t care if it’s 2 AM; you’re not dying on my watch.  I didn’t get you out of that hotel for that.”

Nodding, and looking slightly chastised, Colonello takes the vial gingerly.

Turning to Chrome, Hibiki says, “Chrome-chan, feel free to think up a meal for lunch – anything you want. I have plenty of food and spices. If you don’t know how to make it, or you think it’ll take too much time, write it down and I’ll see if I can’t make it for dinner, k?”

Blushing, she nods. Colonello is rather taken aback at how shy the girl is, considering how Mukuro is her role model. Although, as he thinks about it, having a shy or weaker person depend on you could create an incredibly strong bond of loyalty.  He mentally shivers at the prospect of such a person under the command of a sadist like Mukuro, though he comforts himself with Harry’s (no, he reminds himself, Hibiki’s) presence in the girl’s life.  The man wouldn’t allow things to progress to that degree, if he could help it. Besides, it seems as if the girl is already quite attached to the green-eyed male.  Colonello is startled out of his musings when Hibiki reaches a room and moves to set him down.  He curses his inattention, despite the fact that Hibiki’s movements are typically smooth enough to go unnoticeable even if he is paying attention.

“Now, the transformation itself should take about ten minutes.  You will want to use the shower afterwards, though.  I’ll see if I can find some clothes for you that would fit you and put them on the bed while you’re in the shower.  Don’t go crazy like Reborn did this morning all right? I’ve got enough problems as it is.”

Fidgeting as he realizes what Hibiki is insinuating (the man always did have a mouth on him, a very dirty mouth) he replies, “Of course, kora!  I’m nothing like that bastard Reborn!”

Hibiki smirks. “Sure.  I’ll leave you to it.  Lunch will likely be ready when you’re done with the shower, so just come down.”

With that, the taller man leaves the Arcobaleno to regain his proper age.

~IiI~

When Colonello walks down the stairs, marveling at that he can actually walk down the stairs, he encounters laughter.  Slightly confused, as none of the inhabitants except for Hibiki seem to be prone to laughing at anything, Colonello continues his descent.  Turning into the kitchen, he is greeted by the sight of a giggling Chrome, an amused Chikusa, and a chuckling Harry.  Ken, the source of the laughter, is running around with his mouth seemingly on fire. Presumably, the fire isn’t actually real, since none of the others are unduly concerned.

“Alright Chrome-chan, perhaps you should stop tormenting Ken-kun.  I think he’s learned his lesson.”

Chrome nods slightly, but says softly, “Ken, don’t eat food and use your Channels at the same time. It’s not fair to everyone else and very rude.”

Chikusa nods with Hibiki, the latter obviously still amused.  “Ken-kun, you wouldn’t want to explode would you?  Where’s all the food supposed to go when you release it?”

The innocent sounding questions further incise the teen, but he looks to his charge and nods in agreement.

Chrome nodded back in acknowledgement and released the illusion.

Colonello announces his presence by clapping.  “Great job, Chrome-chan. Seems like Hibiki here’s taught you a lot today, kora.  He show you any of his illusions, kora?”

Chrome retreats into herself once more, but a quick bob of her head acknowledges the compliment. The small, rapid shake that follows it answers Colonello’s second question.

Ken and Chikusa are curious, Ken asks, “Wait.  So were those strings this morning illusions?  Is that how you moved us?  What else do you use the illusions for?  Why do you even know this Arcobaleno?  Why do you know Reborn?...”

Glaring slightly at the one responsible for instigating the barrage of questions, Hibiki holds up a hand, slightly stemming the flow from the teen’s mouth.

“Give me a second and I’ll try and explain.  Colonello, sit down and eat.  You’re going to be subjected to this as well and you might as well eat at the same time.”

Colonello takes Hibiki’s “advice” and hurriedly sits at the open space, loading his plate with the eclectic foods that grace the table.  Currently it is filled with Chinese, English, and French, with a few random Japanese dishes.  All of it looks wonderful. However, he’s still suspicious of the contents of the food.  Colonello wouldn’t put it past Hibiki to poison him due to some real or imagined slight in the past.

Hibiki catches his look, of course.  “It’s not poisoned. I wouldn’t do that to the kids.”

Colonello nods in recognition of that as Ken vehemently denies being a “kid.”

“Alright. Where to start… Well, the method on how I got the two of you down here, and up here after your training session and resulting trouncing by Colonello, is similar to illusions, but isn’t.  No, I’m not telling you what it is.  As for what I do use illusions for, there are lots of things. Some illusions are similar to how Mukuro-kun uses, others are different.  I can use the illusions while fighting, but typically choose not too because there are only so many people in the world, law-abiding, criminal, or somewhere in between, that have a general mastery of illusions. It’s not something I use unless it’s called for.

“The blond idiot I know because I saved his ass a few times, crossed paths with him even more, and eventually became friends with him over sharing miseries about merciless training and violent women.  By the way,” he turns to the blond in question, “ you’re still engaged to Lal aren’t you?”

“Um, yeah, kinda. It’s difficult when you’re in the body of a baby to get married, you know.”

Hibiki smirks, “I know. I was just wondering if she’d given up on you yet.”

Leaving Colonello to splutter denials, Hibiki continues.  “As for why I know Reborn, I have to ask if you’re going to have the same reactions as Tsu-kun’s guardians.”

General confusion met that statement.

“They freaked. Proved you’re better than them, okay Ken-kun, Chikusa-kun?  Besides, you two are more aware of the Arcobaleno's circumstances, anyways.  Chrome-chan, I’m not sure you want to hear this, so I’ll give you the option of stepping out.”

Nods from the males coincide with Chrome’s denial of wanting to step out.  She wants to hear what her mentor has to say – she’s learned that information is key when you’re dealing with the mafia. Colonello looks on, not surprised that the green-eyed man knows his rival, but that he’s giving the story a warning.

“Well then, I was out in Italy for a diplomatic endeavor between Italy and Britain.  By the end of it, I was exhausted, more cynical than normal, and in sever need of a drink, so I walked into a bar that Reborn happened to be inhabiting, drank with him in the loosest way possible, went to his flat, had sex with him, and slept.  I doubt you want me going into more detail, yes?”

Going from the gobsmacked and flushed faces he was left looking at, he presumed correctly. Chrome is flushed a deeper red than Tsuna had been, although she’s maintained consciousness.  Honestly, he's wondering how these kids don't know about sex...then again, they aren't in dormitories and Hibiki supposes that puberty hasn't really started for some of them...

Surprisingly (or not.  Actually, not surprisingly because the man does know Reborn), Colonello is the last to recover.  Ken is somewhere in a state of shock, more from the idea that the Arcobaleno actually did such things, but was quick enough to realize that the 7 Greatest of the Mafia are human too, despite what they’d have you believe.  Chikusa is startled by the information, but he is quick to regain his wits as he stores the information away.  Chrome is very embarrassed by even the concept of sex, but she can see how another male would find Hibiki to be attractive. Secretly, she thinks that the idea is quite interesting, but banishes it before it can fully register. She doesn’t want Mukuro-sama seeing that.

Lunch is finishing up, the boys collecting the dishes to wash them, since Hibiki and Chrome cooked, when Colonello finally moves.

“Ha-chan, I just had a really strange dream where you told me that you met Reborn by sleeping with him.”

Hibiki sighs. “Yes, Colonello. I did tell you that. And it’s Hibiki now. Honestly, you’re reacting worse than Tsuna-kun.”

Colonello blinks as the comment registers.  He huffs, but cannot deny that his reaction could be considered extreme.

“Okay, so while I will try very hard not to imagine you and Reborn together, although I did know that gender wasn't an issue for him, I have just one very important question for you.”

Hibiki motions for him to continue, though casts a charm to cover the ears of the other occupants.

“Who tops?”

Hibiki moves to smack Colonello, when the door bangs open, revealing a female baby with short blue hair, a red visor, and a handgun pointed at an annoying blond.

* * *

Please leave a review?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I don’t want to undermine Chrome’s will by any means with this comment. However, in the beginning, she’s very reliant on Mukuro, for good reasons. But she can’t stay like that, so I’m moving up her increase in backbone to start now. Do let me know if it’s too soon, though.


	7. Business before Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Italics is Italian  
> Underlined is English
> 
> Also Lal Mirch is amazing.

Bullets with various flame attributes fly from the baby’s gun, causing the barrel to flash different colors as each bullet are released. The target unleashes a “manly” shriek of terror and proceeds to attempt to hide beneath the table, hindered by his larger size.

“Hey, Lal. When they say guns blazing I don’t think they mean the fireworks show that you just gave us… Want some lunch?” Hibiki is completely unruffled by the random arrival of the failed Arcobaleno.  Wards are very handy.

“Ah, Ha-chan. Glad you made it out of Greece in one piece.  I never did hear what you did to piss those guys off.”  Regardless of her calm demeanor, the baby continues to fire shots around Colonello’s chair, preventing him from emerging from beneath the table.  The three teens cower instinctively, Ken and Chikusa in front of Chrome and a deep flash of betrayal goes through the three of them at Hibiki’s lack of concern.  However, as they notice that none of the bullets fly anywhere close to them, they relax slightly.

“It’s a talent that I’ve cultivated since childhood.  Will you finally tell me what you were there for?”  Hibiki says as he prepares a plate for Lal while dodging any stray bullets.

A smirk forms on the small woman’s face.  “Nope, you’re not part of the Vongola or affiliated with them in any way.”

Hibiki lets out a dramatic sigh.  “Even if I give you a cure?”

“Even then. Business before pleasure and all that.”

Hibiki rolls his eyes. “Lal, hon, the only pleasure you have is training and terrorizing this,” indicating the green and yellow blob that was Colonello, “idiot.  Oh, wait, that’s two pleasures.  Besides. Both are part of your work in some way.”

He sets the plate down and suddenly there’s another chair at the table.

Lal, ceasing her typical barrage against Colonello, climbs the chair and makes to start eating.

“Wait, when do you want the cure?”  Hibiki asks.

“Hmm, in about two and a half hours? I have a few things that need to be taken care of first.”

Hibiki nods his head in contemplation.  “That should give you plenty of time to digest most of the food to the point that it won’t hurt you during the transformation.”

Lal nods, accepting Hibiki’s explanation, before returning to her food.  She pauses for a second before looking at Hibiki’s wards. “Don’t worry kiddies. I wouldn’t have hit you – Hibiki would have … actually, I’m not sure I have the words to describe exactly what he’d do. No one’s ever talked about it afterwards, if they’re still alive.”

The three teens turned to stare at their host, who was quite content with finishing the rest of his lunch. “I told you, Chrome-chan. Do you really think Mukuro-san would have left you with me if I didn’t have skills?  Although, I’m not sure he knows the extent of them…”

Lal laughs. “I’m sure he’s heard of them, whether or not he realizes it’s you is another matter entirely, even though you’re a fairly new addition to the mafia.”

“Aw, I’m that famous already?”

Colonello interjects, “Wait. Hibiki, you’re in the mafia, kora? I thought you were a diplomat, kora!”

Hibiki looks over at the resurfaced Colonello.  “I was, but as you know, the mafia, or the underground in general, is always tied into the government.”

Colonello shrugs. “True, but that’s not my area of expertise, kora.”

“Not as many explosions there.”

“Eh, only sometimes, kora. But I’m usually sent in when negotiations don’t work and a whole lot of them need to be taken out, kora.”

“Mm.”

Lal, ignoring Colonello’s interruption for the moment, though making a note to give the Rain Arcobaleno another lesson on politics, looks at the shorter man, “Of course you’re that famous.  You do realize that the mafia was on high alert anytime you went to their county for the past two years? The only reason that nothing registered in Japan was the way you disappeared from the system. Hell, there were parties when people realized you’d left the British Foreign Service.”

Hibiki shrugs. “It’s not my fault they’re heavily involved in politics, have a tendency to get in the way of what I wanted to get done, and piss me off.  Besides, that first family was the forerunner of altered human trafficking to the government officials with whom I was dealing.  There was no way I was going to let that continue, especially since they were the opposition.”

Lal snorts. “I’m not saying I don’t agree with what you did, but really, ‘Angelo Misericordioso ( _Merciful Angel_ ),’ my ass.  You just like to terrify all your opposition into submission and leave the police to deal with the remaining shells of your opponents.”

Hibiki smiles slightly, though it seems to have an edge to it.  “It’s better than pissing everyone off, which tends to be the only other reaction they have to me, and having them come after me at a later date. Besides, I didn’t give myself that title.”

Lal rolls her eyes. “But you don’t discourage it, Mister ‘I-Leave-Those-Innocent-or-Against-the-Evil-Operation-Alive-and-Aware-and-Rescue-the-Victims.’”

“I’d be stupid to do so. Names go far in the mafia, sometimes positively.  If I’m likely to get a negative reaction, I do the sensible thing and don’t give my name.”

“Sanity? In the mafia?  We’re talking about the same general group of people, right?”

“Ah, but Lal, my dear, I’m not official and I’ve always been an exception.”

The teens are more than slightly annoyed at how parts of the conversation goes over their heads, though it is quite clear that Hibiki is more than qualified to take care of them. Both Chikusa and Chrome note the mention of Hibiki’s code name.  Chikusa had heard rumors of the Angelo Misericordioso ( _Merciful Angel_ ), but it was never clear what he actually did to earn such a title and what information that exists is mixed and contradictory. Mukuro-sama would no doubt be even more interested in the man before them.

“So, seeing as you’re here for work, I’m going to assume that it has something to do with the Vongola checking Tsuna’s abilities.”

Lal looks torn for a moment between using her gun on the man in front of her and giving him the information.

Hibiki levels a look at her. “I’m currently taking care of one of Tsuna’s Guardians and her protectors.  I still have informants in the mafia and I’m not stupid. I’m sure to find out regardless, and you don’t want me to prank you, now do you?”

“…No…”

Hibiki sighs. “Lal, I’m now unofficially allied with the Vongola for the duration of Chrome’s stint as the Mist Guardian and I happen to personally like Tsuna.  You won’t be able to give that much help since you’re part of the CEDEF, but I have no such restrictions.  In fact, knowing Reborn, I’ll be helping at least one other kid from Tsuna’s group along with Chrome. There are too many of them for just him and Colonello, even if Reborn’s trying to get Trident Shamal to work with Smokin’ Bomb.”

It’s Lal’s turn to sigh. She supposes that she should’ve known that it was Harry – Hibiki – that Reborn was telling Iemitsu about, though she hadn’t previously been aware the two were acquainted.  Heaven forbid the two should actually come together and become partners for any length of time.  No one would be able to stop them, not that much does so currently.

“Fine.”

Hibiki gives her a pleased smile.

She glowers a bit. “I guess I can’t order the kiddies from the room, and I’m sure that Reborn has some of this information and will distribute it soon.  Also, their opponents’ll be getting all the assistance they need so I’ll even the playing field a bit. Nono is pulling out the Vongola rings for a ring battle between heirs, Xanxus and Tsunayoshi.

“The Varia is fighting for Xanxus.  Doubtlessly the Cervello, who will be officiating the matches, will somehow be trying to twist the rules to allow Xanxus to win, for whatever fucked up reason that they have. Why people believe those creepy bitches to be loyal in any way is beyond me.

“Namimori Middle School is set to be the battle ground.  What each match entails I can’t and won’t tell you, partially because I’m not completely aware myself.  However, as the tradition dictates, each match will somehow revolve around each potential Guardian’s mastery over his or her flames.

“The rings will arrive in two weeks – Iemitsu and Basil are coming to bring them to Tsunayoshi and Reborn, although they will be carrying two sets, as each set will contain half of the true ring.

“I’m here to scout out the best route.  I don’t trust Iemitsu to not leave Basil to face the Varia alone, since no one’s supposed to know that the rings have been split, so I’m trying to keep the kid as safe as possible by finding the easiest route.”

Hibiki’s face turns thoughtful, while Chrome freezes with fright, Chikusa begins to worry, and Ken, while slightly worried, is ready to kick ass to the best of his abilities. Colonello isn’t surprised as he figured it had to be a disaster of this level for Reborn to willingly call him in to train some kids.

“Well, I’m glad I’ve taken these guys in.  With any luck, it’ll be SNAFU and not FUBAR in two weeks,” Hibiki comments.

Lal and Colonello look at the man.  “This is your luck we’re talking about, right?”  Lal asks, when Colonello follows with, “Tsunayoshi seems to have the same type of luck you do, how will this go well, kora?”

The three teens just look at their, for lack of a better classification, teacher.  The man might be eccentric and generally pretty cheerful, but optimistic didn’t appear to be part of his personality.

Hibiki shrugs. “I was actually going for Reborn’s luck.”

“The kind that got him turned into an Arcobaleno,” Lal deadpans while Colonello tries not to laugh and the teens just look at their teacher in disbelief.

“…Eh, fine. It’s going FUBAR.”

“That’s the Ha-chan I know,” Lal says drily.

Hibiki rolls his eyes and moves to begin clearing the dishes.

Chikusa, and Ken, with prodding from the yo-yo wielder, head him off and clear the table. Hibiki smiles and begins to package the leftover food for later and their guests.

Colonello moves to the door, calling, “Thanks for the food, Hibiki!”  He’s temporarily prevented from leaving by Lal, who forces him down to her level by kicking the Rain Arcobaleno in the shins to kiss him, and Hibiki, who manages to throw a package of food at the blond with instructions to heat and the time for him to return the next day barring any problems.

Weathering the two assaults of entirely different natures with fairly good grace (hey, he was probably going to get laid that night for the first time in years and was getting another home cooked meal!), Colonello finally left with Lal, who planned to finish scouting before returning in approximately two hours.

Leaving the two teenaged males to the dishes, something he might regret later, Hibiki leads Chrome back downstairs to the smaller dojo to begin teaching her to spar.

~IiI~

“Alright. I’m going to show you some moves, and then I want you to copy them exactly.  Do you know why?”

Chrome nods her head, and with Hibiki’s indication to move on, slowly says, “If I copy them exactly, then I shouldn’t have problems with doing something wrong in the future…”

Hibiki raises an eyebrow.

“…And I can work on my attention to detail for my illusions.”

With a grin, Hibiki says, “Great job, you’re correct on both accounts.  So, lets get this started, and then I’ll run upstairs to get the boys sorted out on their tests – ”

At Chrome’s confused look, Hibiki explains.  “I figure that they should also be tested on math, science, language, and even some aspects of the Underground.  From there, I can teach them what they need to know, or at least get them to the point where they’ll actually succeed when they go back to school, after the Varia mess is over.  The test themselves are fairly straightforward, I just borrowed questions from the schools and twisted them to demonstrate how the subjects affect life in the mafia so Ken can’t complain.”

Chrome nods, now slightly worried about her own versions of the tests, which Hibiki notices.

Smiling softly, Hibiki reassures her.  “Don’t worry, I’ve made sure that all the tests would be at an appropriate level for all three of you based on the files that I received last night.  Besides, they’re pretests anyways.”

Chrome bites her lip, still apprehensive, before she focuses on the task at hand – learning to fight.

Sensing the girl’s focus, Hibiki’s smile widens as he says, “Alright!  Let’s get going!”

~IiI~

Attempting to get Ken to sit still for any length of time, let alone take a test, was about as difficult as trying to brush the teeth of an annoyed Hungarian Horntail.

“Why do I have to do this stupid test?!  It won’t help me in the future and all I need to do is get stronger for Mukuro-sama!”

“Ken, it won’t matter if you’re the strongest man on the planet if you’re stupid because you never availed yourself to the resources available to you.”

“Are you calling me stupid?!!!”

“At this point, since that’s the only thing you heard from my last comment, yeah. Look, if you can’t keep finances and ensure that you pay all of your taxes while keeping your true income hidden, you’re going to be caught by the police.  That’s how the police have busted a number of scammers in recent years.

“If you can’t calculate trajectories for a hit, you’re screwed and your target will get away.

“If you can’t detail a map on the layout of another family’s headquarters, the group sent in will likely fail and be captured or die.

“If you can’t write, your mission reports won’t be as comprehensive and take more time to read, causing your boss to spend more time sloughing though trash to understand the nuances of what actually happened.

“If you can’t blend in to another country on an infiltration mission, even if that isn’t and won’t be your specialty, you’ll alert the target(s) to your family’s intentions just by your presence.

“And don’t get me started on explosives and hacking.

“Do you see why you might need math, economics, science, language, writing, history, and art, just to name a few subjects, can help you in the mafia? The civilians will have the same basic tools that you do, but you have the background to utilize these subjects to your advantage.  You’re proving to everyone in your denial of the usefulness of these topics that you have no ability of forethought and are the same as any hired thug off the streets. I doubt Mukuro-san needs a brainless lump of muscle to help him escape for good.”

Chikusa, who had been silent throughout the entire debate, adds, “Ken, you know that Mukuro-sama sent us here for a reason.  We’ve been in school for the past few weeks and both you and I know that Mukuro-sama doesn’t need to waste time creating illusions for parent-teacher conferences so that nothing is suspicious.  If we can work on our grades now, it seems that Hibiki-san will teach us to better use our knowledge to help Mukuro-sama.”

Hibiki and Ken look at the other teen.  “Kakki-pi, that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say!”

“Merlin’s sagging knickers! You talk?”

Chikusa just glares at the other man.

Sighing, after getting over the shock that Chikusa actually said an entire paragraph of words, Ken relents.  “Fine, but you’d better teach us to apply these things in the best way to get Mukuro-sama out as fast as possible!”

“Of course,” Hibiki agrees.

~IiI~

Just as Chrome’s lesson is winding down, random shouts can be heard from the upper floor.

Sighing, Hibiki says, “Chrome-chan, finish the stretch sequence I just showed you.  I think a wayward skylark has flow into my home.”

Chrome nods, sweaty but accomplished, and returns her attention to stretching. Hibiki walks up the stairs.

The sight that greets his gaze shouldn’t surprise him, and it doesn’t, but the destruction does piss him off slightly.

“Hibari, I told you I’d fight you today.  What possessed you to start fighting my wards?”

The jade-eyed man’s presence is enough to halt the fight, but not to ease the tension in the room. Hibari had fought against Ken and Chikusa and lost to their leader after all.  At least they’ve had enough training to avoid any broken bones for the time being, but Hibiki doubts that either will be able to do any training tomorrow. He has some bruise balm, but not enough to completely coat two people in it…

Of course, Hibari just gives a slight grunt of acknowledgement before pouncing on Hibiki. “You promised me a spar.”

Hibiki rolls his eyes while deflecting and dodging blows from Hibari’s tonfa.

“We can’t do this in my basement and not my living room?”

Hibari’s response is his continuous rain of blows.

Hibiki sighs and lets out a small amount of Ki aimed directly at Hibari, who falters at this uncharacteristic move by the older man.

“I know that you’re pissed that I didn’t show up right when school ended, but I really don’t have time to deal with the destruction of my living room.  Chill out for a minute and come down to the larger training room in the basement.  There are some simulations that I think you’ll like trying at a later date.”

Calmed by the promise of an imminent fight, Hibari lowers his tonfa and follows his host to the basement. Hibiki calls behind him, “Ne, Chikusa, tell Lal to come get me when she arrives for her dose, k?”

Taking the silence as confirmation, which it is since the teen nods, Hibiki continues into his basement.

~IiI~

Chrome is understandably frightened when she hovers outside the larger training room after helping Chikusa and Ken with their injuries to the best of her abilities. She needs to ask Hibiki where the first aid box is, since ice packs will work for now, but future spars and battles won’t leave the combatants with such mild injuries.

Beyond the doorway, she sees two lethal men, seemingly attempting to kill each other. Hibiki may not be as actively reaching for vital points as Hibari is, but he is looking.

Sparks fly from each fighter’s weapons as they engage and disengage.  Tonfa on sickle, flesh on flesh.  Beats pound around the girl as she observes the two fighters, almost creating the base for a song.

The appearance of a smaller figure by her side startles Chrome, but she’s too engrossed by the fight to pay too much attention to the currently nonthreatening failed Arcobaleno.

“He’s amazing to watch, isn’t he?”  Lal asks quietly.

Chrome, shy and busy watching, slowly nods in agreement.

They watch in silence for a few more minutes.

“You’re lucky, you know, for him to take you.”

She knows. She knows that she’ll never be able to thank either of her saviors enough.  Mukuro-sama for actively sustaining her existence and Hibiki-san for teaching her, even in the one day that she’s known him.

Lal understands.

“You’re in for a hard road, kid.  Both with your pineapple twin and your place in the Vongola.  The mafia, even in a family as refined as the Vongola, tends to look down on the females unless the head is one.  We’re acknowledged as dangerous, but we’re still not on the same level as men. That may change with the Decimo, I don’t know, but Hibiki?  He’ll value you.”

And Chrome believes her. There’s an air about the man that seems to say, “You’re welcome here, you belong here, I want you to stay.”

“So,” Lal breaks away from looking at the fight to return the stare that Chrome had trained on her when she started to talk about the future, “Don’t ever betray him.”

A shiver runs down Chrome’s spine at the mere thought of such an action.

“Don’t ever betray him, even if Mukuro tells you to, because I can guarantee you, nothing is worth it and you won’t live to regret it.”

There is nothing for Chrome to do but nod.

Silence engulfs the space between the two until the match ends.

~IiI~

The two males are sweating profusely as they exit the room, Hibiki less so than Hibari, but enough to make it obvious that both have had a good workout.

Hibari nods at Lal, acknowledging another carnivore, ignores Chrome, and leaves.

“Hey, Lal,” Hibiki says. “Let me lock this up for the day and I’ll get you the cure.  Do you think you can watch over these three for a few hours while I run back to the dojo and give lessons?”

“Eh, sure, Hibiki. You know I reserve the right to shoot at them if any of them are annoying, right?”

“Of course. No fatal wounds or maiming, though. I need them functional for tomorrow. Besides, Hibari beat the boys up pretty well, so Ken shouldn’t give you any problems.  Chrome’ll help you out, right?”

The girl in question nods.

“Great! I had canceled my earlier classes, but I can’t take the entire day off on such short notice.  Especially if I'm going to have to close for the next few weeks until the Varia mess is sorted.”

“Yeah, yeah. Seal the damn room, gimme the cure, and get out of here before your kiddies storm you house.”

“Alright, alright…”

Hibiki turns to the room, placing his hand on the closed door.  He chants something under his breath in a language that sounds like the Italian of the country where the mafia was born, but older.

The words, though Chrome doesn’t know their meaning, send shivers down her back as power leaps from Hibiki to the room, engulfing it in his energy (1).  Although confused, as she’s never seen this phenomenon occur before, Chrome is awed at the display.

“Alright! Let’s get going!”

Lal shoots the man a look, apparently contemplating taking a leaf from Reborn’s book and hitting the man with a mallet if her look is anything to go by.

“Sure. Let’s get going…up the stairs.”

Hibiki pouts.

~IiI~

After the boys have settled with Chrome, Ken fighting Chikusa in a video game with Chrome reading a book from one of Hibiki’s end tables, Hibiki grabs Lal’s vial and the diminutive female herself.

Lal, though irate at being carried, stays still.  She may not have been as ecstatic as the dumb blond she normally tortured, but she was excited to regain her full height, even if it was just for a day.

Hibiki, noting her stillness, smiles slightly.  He knows Lal slightly better than the other Arcobaleno, including Reborn, simply because he’s seen her more often, and he knows that she’s keeping a lid on her anticipation. Not that he’d blame her. While posing as a two year old might be great for some infiltration, he’s sure it would get boring, irritating, and restrictive quite quickly.  Besides, she’s helped him out of enough tight spots (“Only because our interests align”) that he’d consider her more than an acquaintance, and he’s always done his best to help his friends.

Setting her on his bed, Harry gives her a similar speech and set of warnings that he did to the other Arcobaleno that have thus far graced his home.

When he’s done, she looks at him behind her blue visor, and says in an uncharacteristically quiet voice, “Thank you.”

He turns and grins at her, before replying, “No problem.”

And really, Lal should have known that would have been his response, just as he knew how much the cure (albeit temporary) really meant to her. In their own ways, they’d had similar experiences, and that had created a bond of camaraderie, almost friendship. He could see Lal becoming something of a surrogate sister to him, much like Hermione was in Hogwarts, and how Luna and Ginny remain.

Gently, Hibiki closes the door to allow Lal her privacy, after grabbing some fresh clothes.  He likes all his limbs attached and unharmed, thank you very much.

Returning downstairs, Hibiki checks on the teens he’s now housing, and seeing that they’re currently occupied, he performs a nonverbal refreshing spell as he silently bemoans the lack of a shower.

Entering the living room, he observes as Ken loses to Chikusa and promptly begins proclaiming that the other teen had cheated.

“Kakki-pi! I know you cheated! Damn it, I can’t win against you because you always cheat!  STOP CHEATING!”

“Hey, calm down, Ken.  I really don't need my living room to be destroyed.”

“HE CHEATED!”  The enraged teen rounds on Hibiki.

“Yes, apparently he did.  Now, are you really just going to yell at him?  Did that help in any of the previous situations?”

Ken looks slightly abashed, but still incised.

“I didn’t think so.  Besides, if he cheated, then you just have to cheat back.  Then it won’t matter.”

Chikusa, who looks slightly worried at the face Ken is making after hearing Hibiki’ suggestion, returns his attention to entering his name into the list of the high scores.

“Alright, Kakki-pi!  Let’s do this again! I’m not stopping until I beat you!”

Resigned, Chikusa nods.

Hibiki chuckles.  The teen should’ve known that cheating just inspires cheating, if the opponent is smart enough to realize it.  Obviously, the teen was counting on Ken’s inability to see beyond his irritation to prevent him from realizing the possibility of cheating as well.

Chrome, from her perch on the sofa, watches the scene above her book. She smiles slightly.

“Okay you three, I’m going to my dojo to teach the afternoon and evening classes.  Try not to piss off Lal – even if you’re my wards now, it might be the last thing you do if it’s a serious enough offense.  If you do, there are first aid boxes in the kitchen and bathrooms.”

Chrome and Chikusa nod, while Ken grunts as he tries to figure out HOW to cheat.

Smiling, Hibiki leaves his now lively house.  The kids still have quite a ways to go before they’re anything near “normal” or even really healthy, but they’ve made an impressive start.

* * *

Please review?

Thanks.

~Fini~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) “Engulfing the room in his energy” - really, Hibiki is just feeding his magic into the wards to activate them. I’m pretty sure they have yet to come across this in KHR! at this point, hence Chrome’s fascination.


	8. Of Pensive Persons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Italics is Italian or an emphasized word.
> 
> More of an interlude with different thoughts on the situation as the characters see it.

After returning from an afternoon and evening of concerned parents and children, who cared far too much about their martial arts teacher (what prompted them to be so concerned?  He’d only had to cancel a few lessons here and there…  No, he wasn’t still a workaholic….), but he’d brushed them off. He was fine, there had just been an unexpected addition to his life – he was taking care of a few teens for a while as a favor to a friend.  And NO, he DID NOT need help caring for them, thank you Yamada-san, your daughter doesn’t need to step in.  Nor do you, Kagawa-san.

Needless to say, Hibiki is quite happy to return home to find the house intact. One never knew with Lal, after all.

As if to prove his point, utter chaos meets him when he enters. Ken is chasing Chikusa around, causing various pieces to upend themselves, apparently attempting to get the yo-yo user to “GET IN THE DAMN TUB _THRICE DAMED BASTARD WHO LOVES STRING AND NEEDLES TOO MUCH!_ ”

Following that display, Lal and Chrome come wandering in carrying a bag of popcorn apiece and laughing hysterically at the boys’ display.

Clearing his throat to announce his presence, as his new wards have missed the door opening and Lal is just too far-gone to care, caused an effect not unlike the Freezing Charm.  “Oh, hey, Hi-chan. How were your rugrats?” Lal asks after a beat of silence as Chrome shrinks into herself, Ken attempts to stop in mid air, and Chikusa edges further from the room.

“Eh, same old, same old, Lal.  I was nearly crushed by a bunch of them, worrying that I was ill and was forced to spill about _these_ rugrats and had to fight off more than a dozen offers of help of various kinds and intent.

“May I ask what happened here?”

At this, Lal has to suppress a blush.  “Well, theboyskindagotintoafightovertheirgamesoIendedupplayingthemanditkindagotoutofhandwhenIgavethemdarestodowhentheylostanditkindaspiraledfromthere.”

Hibiki blinks at the highly out of character response from Lal. It must be a side affect from the Ageing Potion, though it’s not one he’s seen before.  “Oooookay then.  At least it’s relatively easy to clean.”

Everyone else stared at the mess and back at Hibiki, who just smiled at them.

“Well, Lal, you have Colonello to deal with, I’ll take over here. Chikusa, get in the bathtub and use the shower.  Everyone will be fine here. Ken, stop chasing Chikusa around to get him to do something – you’re making it worse.  Chrome, it’s good to see you having fun with Lal. Next time, I’d appreciate it if you kept the boys in the basement, since it’s designed to be wrecked, but, again, at least this is relatively easy to clean.”

More silence meets Hibiki’s comments.

“So,” Hibiki claps his hands, “let me get to work!”

They scatter, Lal heading out the door with a quick shout of, “Night all, it was fun!” over her shoulder.  Chikusa does bolt upstairs to the shower with Ken following shortly thereafter, leaving Chrome with Hibiki, the former who’d like nothing better than to bolt upstairs too, but is still afraid of any possible repercussions of breaking an undisclosed rule.

She tenses when Hibiki slowly walks over and flinches when he slowly pats her head with a small smile on his face expressing a myriad of unidentifiable emotions. Then he moves past her and begins cleaning up.

“You can head up too, Chrome.  I’m sure you’re tired after today’s insanity.  There should be three bottles on the table.  Drink them right before you go to bed, ok? They’ll help heal you.”

Chrome stares at the man for a minute then nods and mutters a quiet, “Thank you.” She then flits off to the kitchen before darting up the stairs.

Hibiki just smiles and continues cleaning, making judicious use of various cleaning charms with his new ‘kids’ out of sight.  He wonders at how he’s already become so attached to them.

~IiI~

Later, Ken and Chikusa quietly discuss their new guardian/teacher/torturer in their room with various gestures and mixed languages, just in case there are cameras and this is all some elaborate plot.  Mukuro-sama is good, but sometimes even he can be fooled.  It’s very, very rare, that such a mistake occurs, but they have to be especially careful considering that they are still adjusting to having Chrome with them and that the girl doesn’t really know how to fight.

Their conversation boils down to something like this:

           

            So, can we trust him?  I didn’t sense anything when I was using my Channels.

            Nothing seems to contradict his story.

            But he knows three Arcobaleno.

            Correct. He’s helping the three Arcobaleno.

            …Are people even allowed to do that?!

            …

            Ok, so, do we stay?

            …I believe that is the best option.

            So, for how long?

            …I do not know. Until we can rescue Mukuro-sama?

            …A really fucking long time then.

            Most likely.

            Great….

~IiI~

Chrome, having showered, is playing with small illusions of stuffed animals as she thinks about what she learned today.  Fighting, control, fun…  All things she had never hoped to have (well, she hoped that Mukuro-sama would teach her control, but she, secretly, wasn’t sure that that would ever have happened.  If it did, it was only to keep her from going insane).

A day could change things.  A day could change a lot of things.

Slowly, her illusions fade away and she silently mourns that she can’t materialize them while she sleeps.  She eyes the three bottles filled with odd liquids and a whisper of reassurance comes from Mukuro-sama – he won’t let her die.

So she reaches for them and quickly gulps them down, shuddering at the taste, before stoppering the now empty bottles and snuggling into her bed. Morpheus takes her gently.

~IiI~

Harry, of course, retreats to his potions lab to continue the brewing process.  The potions that Chrome receives tonight are a combination of diagnostic and preparatory potions.  The potions that he begins brewing tonight will begin the actual healing process. As a result, he also brews some Dreamless Sleep.  While it does have addictive qualities, especially when the receive suffers from nightmares or other sleeping problems, the pain that the potions would cause Chrome would keep her awake and screaming for 12 hours straight – until the potions had done their work and ceased healing her.  A Pain Reliever caused a variety of problems when given with a few of the potions that Hibiki had to give Chrome, so he couldn’t simply brew that. Muggle pain relievers would take the edge off the pain, but the ones over the counter would (obviously) not be strong enough for the teen.  Hibiki doesn’t have a license to have hospital grade painkillers and deems that the Black Market isn’t worth the risk if Chrome could just sleep through it. The extra sleep might help stabilize her Flames, too.

Slowly, five cauldrons simmer around the wizard, their shimmering fumes giving an oily haze to the air. Hibiki simply sits and waits, stirring the potions as needed.

The years Hibiki has spent traveling for diplomatic reasons have exposed him to a wide variety of cultures. At the same time, it’s also given him a reason to work on areas he hadn’t dedicated himself to while he was in school (and some areas that just weren’t offered).

Potions is obviously one of those areas.  He wouldn’t have offered to brew these potions if he hadn’t dramatically improved his skill – he wasn’t a terrible student, but one of the potions was exceedingly complex, though he fortunately had experience making it before.

Another area is Muggle fighting.  He smiles as he recalls the various mishaps he got into while attempting to find some weapon that he wouldn’t a) trip over, b) impale himself with, c) could lift, d) could conceal, and e) was useful in more than one situation (blow darts, while cool and quite useful in assassinations, didn’t do much to block a claymore headed for his neck).

Lost in his memories, Hibiki doesn’t pay too much attention to the shadow that unhitches itself from the wall behind him and flickers over to his side, only to embrace him lightly and nuzzle his hair.

Hibiki reaches up and cards his fingers through the arrival’s wild hair.

“Hello, Sōon.”

The shadow smiles into Hibiki’s neck.

* * *

Please review?

~Fini~

 


	9. Cue Jeopardy Music and Obliviousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> Underlined is either a song and/or English
> 
> Some morning fluff and an old acquaintance.

Chrome wakes to the sound of a person passing her door. It’s probably Hibiki-san again. (And she really wishes that the man would give her a last name because it’s disconcerting to be calling him by what must be his first name.)  The man seems to get up early and go to sleep late. (She doesn’t realize that he’s been up all night and is just stopping upstairs for a shower.)

She sighs. She’s not sure what to make of this guardian who’s changed so much for her and the boys in one day. One day.  She’s done more with her illusions and her body and her mind than ever before, in a place that really, really could maybe be a home. And isn’t that something? A home.

(Not even Mukuro-sama could give her a physical place like that.  Oh, Kokuyo Land will always have a place in her memories, but there was no sense of comfort, only temporary shelter from the world outside its decrepit walls. Nothing like this place….)

Chrome might doze for the next half hour – floating in the limbo between sleep and alertness, ready to respond to anything, but basking in the comfort and warmth of her bed.

Unfortunately, it’s not a peace that can last forever.

Hibiki-san knocks on the door, and with a quiet, “come in,” pokes his head in.

“Good morning, Chrome-chan,” the man whispers, apparently aware that the other occupants of the house are still asleep, “I’m going to make breakfast.  Feel free to use the shower, especially before the boys wake up. Do you want anything specific for breakfast?”

Chrome just shakes her head.

“Okay, breakfast should be ready in about half an hour.  If the boys aren’t up by then, we’ll just wake them up.” And with that, Hibiki shuts the door.

Chrome sighs again – she’s still not sure what to make of the man – before mentally checking on Mukuro-sama and grabbing some clothes for the day. Chrome slips out, glancing in on her protectors (that a part of her wishes she didn’t need – she didn’t want them as _protectors_ she wants them as _friends_ – whatever that word means) and noticing that they’re still asleep, continues down the hall, and into the bathroom.

The sight of a working shower is enough to fill her with lots of warm fuzzy feelings. Something you don’t miss until it’s gone, hot, pressurized water is a godsend of amazing proportions.

Still, Chrome’s bubble of happiness deflated slightly.  The fact was, she had no idea what to do now.  Train, yes. Get stronger, yes. Gain control of her Flames, yes. But what then?

Well, work for Sawada Tsunayoshi-san, on orders from Mukuro-sama, get Mukuro-sama out of jail and just…be free?

What was – is – freedom?

Was it waking up without the fear of those people coming in?  (She hadn’t gotten there yet.)  Was it being able to leave – to not be locked up?  (Still, she wouldn’t just leave like that – it would be a horrible way to repay Mukuro-sama, Ken-san, and Chikusa-san…and Hibiki-san.)

Humming, Chrome wondered as a song she’d heard once though a window near her house came to mind.

Some day I want to run away,

To the World of Midnight.

Where the darkness fills the air

Where it’s icy cold…

But, that’s not where she wants to go anymore.  She wants to stay here, wherever here is, with these people she’s met and learned from…

Wringing the water from her hair and tentatively taking a towel from the pile on top of the rack, Chrome mentally shakes herself.

She’s here, now, with people that care for her and that she cares about. She’s making friends – she hopes that she can count Lal Mirch as a “friend,” even a tentative one. She’s growing, for once, so who cares how long it lasts for now.

With that in mind, Chrome pulls on her olive jacket and heads down the stairs for breakfast.

~IiI~

Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and muffins meet her eyes.

“H-hibiki-san…?”

“Ah, Chrome-chan!  Pull up a seat and take what you’d like.  The boys still have ten more minutes before I’ll go wake them, so take your time to find things you like.  There’re blueberry, chocolate chip, banana, and peanut butter pancakes, blueberry, raspberry, and chocolate chip muffins, and various jams that you can put on them. So!  Just find something you like and I’m sure the rest will be eaten by somebody.  I doubt Colonello won’t drop by soon just for a free breakfast.  Lal will probably come by, too.”

“Okay…”

She loads up her plate with a little portion from each larger serving plate, eyes wide.  She thought yesterday’s spread was a special occasion, not an everyday event.  Although, if the Arcobaleno are coming by, then maybe it is a special occasion….

Chrome wonders where the man gets enough money to pay for groceries.

“Um….”

“Yes?”

“How…doesn’t this cost a lot?”

Hibiki-san laughs a little.  Chrome cringes. She knew it was a stupid question.

“Oh, no.  Don’t worry. Sorry, it’s just with all these Mafiosi running around, I forget that you don’t know more of what I did before I came to Japan – and I did quite a lot.  So, this costs a fair amount, but it won’t hurt my savings or anything.”

“Oh…ok.”

“Mmm, well, speaking of savings and money, I suppose we should get the shopping out of the way.”

Chrome looks up from her plate with alarm.  Shopping?!

“Yes, you need more than two sets of clothes and some old pajamas. The boys, too. As far as I’m concerned, yes you’re getting a crash course for when the Varia arrive, but you’re staying with me for as long as you need to, so you need clothes.  And, well, room decorations, and beds, because those aren’t meant to be used long term, and I’ll probably work something out so that you get your own room because you won’t want to be sharing with those boys soon I don’t doubt.  So, more or less, this all amounts to a shopping day.”

Chrome isn’t sure how to respond to this.

“…Thank you…” she says, grateful and awkward and uncertain and many other conflicting and overlapping emotions causing her even greater confusion at this situation.

Hibiki-san just smiles.  “No problem. I’m happy to do this for you, Ken-kun, and Chikusa-kun.”

Chrome blushes and buries herself in her breakfast.

~IiI~

Once Chrome has (again, and isn’t that novel) eaten her fill, Hibiki-san rolls his eyes.  When she looks at him, he just gestures to the clock.

“The boys still aren’t up yet, and we do need to get going if we’re going to get most of the shopping done today.”

Chrome nods.  It makes sense, although she’s not quite sure about the whole “shopping trip” – and she still has no idea why Hibiki-san is doing all of this for the others and her. As far as Chrome knows, Hibiki-san just set up an agreement with Mukuro-sama regarding her training…and none of what they do today seems like training.

Still, she’ll enjoy it while it lasts – and Chrome certainly can’t claim to know exactly what Hibiki-san is going to teach her, so maybe this is going to be a training trip.  Like blending into crowds or something…. But, she’s good at that already.

Regardless, Chrome follows her current guardian up the stairs.

Hibiki-san knocks loudly on the door to Ken-san and Chikusa-san’s room, setting off a whole series of curses and loud bangs, only some of which seem to be from Ken-san.

Hibiki-san knocks again.

“WE’RE UP!  WE’RE UP!”

“Excellent,” Hibiki-san calls through the door.  “Breakfast is on the table and only getting cold, so please dress and come down.”

“FOOOOOOOOD!” That’s definitely Ken-san.

“Shut up and put some pants on!”

Hibiki-san grins at Chrome, who’s blushing.  Sure, the boys lived with her alone in Kokuyo Land, but she never really had to wake them up….

“Let’s go back downstairs, alright?”

Chrome nods quickly and leads the way.  That’s not a sight she wants to see.

~IiI~

One annihilated and interrupted breakfast later (“Hey, kora! You started without us, kora!” “Oh, peanut butter pancakes, thanks Hi-chan!”), the dishes are being done, while Hibiki continues to catch up with Lal and Colonello.

“So, what’re you guys doing today?”

“Well, I have the boxer to pick up, kora.  I’ll start with seeing where he is and go from there, kora. It’s going to be tough to get him anywhere near the Varia level, kora.”

“Yes, well, the goal isn’t necessarily to have them win, but survive. This is the assassination squad, after all.”

“Mine will win, kora!”

“And I want Chrome-chan and Mukuro-kun to win as well, but realism will get them and Ken-kun and Chikusa-kun farther than blind optimism.”

“Hey!”

“Calm down, Colonello.  Just settle on disagreeing for right now.  You’ll see the end result in about two weeks now, anyways.”

Colonello sighs, but stops his arguments.  Hibiki just rolls his eyes.

“Anyways, Lal, I need to take the teens shopping….uh, can you help Chrome with some things?  If you have time?”

Lal blinks, then laughs at him.  “Oh the wonders of a small town, huh?  Alright, alright, I can take her now, if that’s fine, since I’m still big.”

“Well, I’m not sure the stores are open just yet, but thank you. Last thing I need is to give those mothers and grandmothers another reason to try and set their daughters and themselves upon me.  I swear, you’d think I’m incompetent with all the offers I’m getting now.”

Lal and Colonello stare at the man who, apparently, had managed to seduce Reborn (because _everyone_ knew that Reborn was a ladies man, though and through).  And continue to stare.

“Just-what-how-really-what-ARGH! Hi-chan, you drive me crazy! Chrome-chan, grab your shoes and we’ll get going.  Hi-chan, we’ll be back for lunch.  Hopefully sense will return and follow with logic when I get back.”

“Okay, see you then!”

Colonello remains as a new addition to Hibiki’s furniture arrangement.

“Alright, Ken-kun, Chikusa-kun, we can head out soon too.” Upon looking at the boys, who’ve only recently finished cleaning the plates, Hibiki says, “You could have just used the dishwasher…?”

He receives two glares in return.

~IiI~

So, shopping has never been a thing of Hibiki’s (or Harry’s) so it’s probably a good thing that they manage to run into someone he knows.

Thankfully for Ken and Chikusa, it’s not Luna either.

“Zabini, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Shopping, Potter, same as you.”

“In one of the smallest towns in Japan?”

“Why not, you’re here aren’t you?  That means it won’t be small for long.”

“Oh, this one isn’t my fault.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Potter.  I’ve already heard the rumors about the Arcobaleno.”

“Damn, Checkerface is going to be popping up soon?”

“Got it in one.”

“Merlin’s thrice used, never washed, sleep robes!  Can’t a bloke go anywhere without something happening?”

“If it’s you, Potter, you have to ask?”

“Shut up, Zabini.  For that, I’m recruiting you to help me dress these two.”

“Hibiki-san, why is The Informant, here?”

“Because, Kakimoto-san, I happen to have had the…experience of attending school with your current guardian.”

“Oi, oi, oi.  It could have been worse.”

“Indeed.” Zabini nods. “I could have joined you on your adventures.”

“…Now that’s a scary thought.  Moving on.” Hibiki says, turning to address the teenaged boys, “He’s now going to help you shop because that’s something I’m apparently not allowed to do for clothes.  Quite lucky we ran into him.”

“Yes, quite…” Zabini says with a slight scoff at the thought of Hibiki being _good_ at clothes shopping.

* * *

Please review?

~Fini~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is "World of Midnight" by Minako Obata from Black Lagoon


	10. Introspection of Homes and the Mandatory Mini Training Montage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title says it all. Except there's also a Luna.
> 
> We are now all caught up with the chapters posted on FFN, though these have, for the most part, been subjected to more editing. It probably won't continue to the be the case in the future (the editing that is, unless you all /want/ to wait 10 chapters or so...?). In addition, this is also the last chapter before the Ring Battles so things will start moving from here on out. (They will also become more and more AU. Just a heads up.)

One full day of shopping later, the only breaks allowed being lunch and tea, Ken, Chikusa and Chrome are all fully traumatized.

While clothes shopping had been the dedicated task of the morning (although if Lal and Zabini-san had had their way it would’ve taken the entire _day_ ), the three teens had been forced to suffer the combined focus of Lal and Blaise for their bedrooms and other miscellaneous items they deemed necessary for the three teens’ stay at Hibiki-san’s home.

This of course meant dealing with color coordination, wood choice (and further color coordination), lamps, desks, bookshelves, beds, mattresses, bedding, other linens….

Chrome decides the entire event could be used as a Mist induced torture in the future. She’s sure it will be necessary, with them being in the mafia, and she can’t always be borrowing Mukuro-sama’s techniques.

Ken is now catatonic on his new bed (which mysteriously ended up at the house when they were out) trying to come to terms with the new form of insanity to which he’d been introduced.

Chikusa, meanwhile, is playing with his yo-yos in the corner, having been deprived of his beanie. On the other hand, he now had real glasses with the correct prescription, which is nice.  Prison isn’t exactly good on improving one’s eyesight. Hibiki-san even offered to try creating a cure for his bad eyesight once the prescription ceased changing.

It’s a nice thought – that he might make it to an age where his eyes will stop changing and not that they’ll stop changing because he’s dead.

Somehow, the entire day had made them all at least slightly melancholic.

Hibiki, acting as their guardian, is essentially making a home for them.  They’ve noticed, even if it’s only been a few days since he’s technically “taken them in” for Mukuro-sama.  It’s…odd.

Ken and Chikusa don’t really understand the concept of “home.”  It’s not a high priority for criminals on the run and it's not like the Estraneo were creating anything in their labs besides misery and fear and monsters who rose from the abyss.

Home is a word they’ve heard over the years, even more recently now that they’re in a small town and being forced to interact with students their age.  Home is where people go at the end of the day, not the house, or the hideout, or headquarters.  Definitely not the lab, though when they were there (those dark, dark times that haunt the corners and shadows on the edge of their vision and the nights when they feel weak) it’s not like they ever left it with the intent to return.

Chrome too, settling in front of a new dresser with a mirror that Lal insisted they get – because “even if you don’t think you need it now, Chrome-chan, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared for the future.”  What future, Chrome isn’t sure.  What future would allow her to stay here, the way that Hibiki-san has been subtly implying these past few days with his rules that aren’t and a bedroom and a bed and cooking that she likes and gets to eat as much as she wants of that didn’t come from a convenience store?

No future Chrome can see. Still, it’s nice in a way that her room with her parents wasn’t and that Kokuyo Land might have been if…it hadn’t been run down and there was an adult to care.

(She tries to keep these thoughts from Mukuro-sama, but…she wants a home.  And she thinks that Mukuro-sama, who’s helped her so much and understood her and cared, _is home_. But…sometimes…when things are bad and her memories are being played with in dreams, it’s nice to have a physical home, too.)

So, when Hibiki-san comes in, depositing Chrome’s new set of medicine, he doesn’t receive thank-yous or other forms of appreciation.  They just ask, “Why?”

Because this is so much more than they ever expected and it’s all too fast, too soon, where is thisgoingbecauseithastoendandwhatdoeshe _want_?

Hibiki smiles, sad and a little worn (it’s not like the teens know about his late nights over caldrons and other things to arrange everything) and says, “Well, that’s what I wanted as a child, and a teen, and even as an adult.”

And the three teens, two of which have escaped the mafia’s prison for a second time, can’t really think of something to say to that, so they nod.

They understand, they all understand.

It’s the first night they all go to sleep without major concerns dragging them from Morpheus’s arms.

~IiI~

They don’t really talk about that night, but if Ken’s a little more cooperative and Chikusa starts to talk a little more and Chrome smiles some, and Hibiki actually has something to look forward too, well, it works for all of them.

Still, they have less than two weeks now before the Varia gets to Namimori and all the time they can is devoted to making sure Chrome is able to at least begin holding her own while brushing up and improving Ken’s and Chikusa’s skills.  Chrome has it slightly easier than the rest of Tsuna’s guardians, since it’s most likely that the Mist Battle will come down to a series of illusions, but…she’s also had to keep the ability sealed for a long time, so there are problems that crop up from time to time.

No one’s going to talk about the Noodle Shark ever again for fear of Chrome’s use of the trident she and Mukuro share.

Ken is also never going to try and steal any of Chrome’s chocolate every again.

But there’s a routine and everyone is learning something.  Even if it’s Hibiki and the realization that “taking time off for family reasons” means that every child and their mother/grandmother/older sister/cousin – whatever – wants to find out about the reason he’s not teaching classes for the next two weeks.

There’s a lot of doorbell abuse and Hibiki finally does activate the ward to repel his otherwise well wishers. Still, he leaves a hole for Reborn if the hitman ever does come to call.

(He doesn’t and Hibiki decides to ignore that in favor of training his three charges. If they’re worried about the amount of time Hibiki spends in a separate portion of the simulation room the night he makes the realization, none of them comment.)

But, there’s not much time for things like that and some days the boys have to be physically dragged from the simulation room either because they’re unconscious or they want another chance against a certain program.  Chrome is the same way, except she’ll keep practicing past dinner if Hibiki would let her, just to exhaust herself to the point of collapse.

Hibiki puts a limit on that behavior early on in the first week, though.

“Chrome-chan, I know you want to do well and improve, but you’re still taking medicine to restore your organs and if you push yourself too hard, all the work that’s been done will collapse.”

Seeing as Chrome wants to be able to move and function independently of Mist Flames by the time the Ring Battles begin, she stops pushing when Hibiki says to immediately. Hibiki still lets her push her limits, but in different ways.  It’s attention to detail, flexibility, and a sort of flowing strength that Chrome slowly starts to develop as she works all of her muscles when she dances.

It’s a good two weeks, even if Hibiki makes the three teens go to be early the night before the tournament begins.

“ _Why_ do we have to go to bed at _9 o’clock at night like five year olds!_ ”

“So that you’ll actually be asleep by midnight instead of just settling into bed.”

“Fine! Chikusa can go to bed that early then, I’ll be fine!”

“Ken-san, you were falling asleep at breakfast this morning…are you sure you’re not tired?”

“Be _quiet_ Chrome!”

“She has a point.”

“STOP DOING THAT IN UNISON!”

“So, you’ll go to bed, now?”

“Wait, _now?_ ”

Hibiki just stares pointedly at the clock.

Ken blinks a few times and mutters, “fine.”

~IiI~

The next day is full of nervous tension and passes in a crawl, though it does pass and it’s time for the rest of the potential combatants to appear.

Hibiki stands in the shadow of a tree, not there for Tsuna nor the Varia, but an observer for the time being.  A slip of silver appears at his elbow, with a quiet, “Hello, Takai no Hibiki.”

Hibiki smiles and says, “Hello, Luna Lovegood. Come to watch the show?”

* * *

Please leave a review?

~Fini~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those interested, here “Takai” is made with the kanji for “other” (他) and “world”(界). It’s not expensive (高い).


	11. Is Making Questionable Decisions a Genetic Trait for Those with Naturally Pink Hair?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ring Battles: Sun and Lightening
> 
> Also more character interactions: introducing Kyoko and Hana.
> 
> (No, seriously, all the character interactions I'm going to need a chart by the end of this.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so sorry it took me this long to write this chapter. I hope it's not a disappointment.
> 
> Warnings for implied attempted murder of a teenager, attempted murder, non graphic description of injuries, child endangerment (because Lambo is freaking five and I'm still not okay with that).
> 
> In other news, happy Halloween to all that celebrate it! I hope you all have a wonderful day and get treats that you enjoy.

* * *

So the first night is insanity.

No, seriously, why the hell do they decide to use floodlights? Yes, these are Suns but, and this is coming from a wizard, what the hell?

“Why are they being so _literal_?” Hibiki groans under his breath.

“Hmm. Well the green hen of DOOM seems to be enjoying it,” Luna says.

“He’s got _sunglasses_. How obvious are they trying to be about rigging the matches?”

“They could be worse,” Zabini cuts in.  “You haven’t seen them after a hit – some start screaming about how artistically they mutilated a corpse five feet away from the body when there are so many witnesses I need to use Obliviates and not just Mist and Storm flames.”

“That’s not rigging matches, that’d just be obvious.”

“Says the Gryffindor.”

Hibiki raises an eyebrow at Zabini.  Luna hums, making music to the beat of bodies slamming into each other and the ring.

Zabini shrugs gracefully. “They’re having the fight in a boxing ring.”

“Says the Slytherin,” Hibiki replies with an eye roll.

“Oh, double knock out!  Minor chord!  Doom's down and boxer's out!” Luna belts out, before ending, as she’d said, in the minor key.

Hibiki and Zabini stare at the ring.

Then Hibiki is gone, and back with two extra bodies as the ring finishes exploding from an attack by the robot.

“Do they _always_ do this?  I thought the Varia was better than this.”

“Oh, the Farissake isn’t wrong.  They’re usually much worse.  It’s proof of them being Quality, after all.”

Hibiki stares at Luna.  Then he looks at Zabini.

“These are _assassins_?  I think Ron is quieter.”

Luna takes this comment under consideration, but further discussion is interrupted by the presence of Sasagawa Kyoko, Kurokawa Hana, Reborn and Tsuna…and their entourage.

“ONII-SAN!  Why are you fighting again?  Why did you get hurt….”

“Kyoko, Kyoko…” The other teen wraps an awkward arm around her friend and pulls her to the side.

“O-onii-san…we should get you to a hospital!”

“It’s alright, Tsuna.  He’ll be walking around by tomorrow – and from what I’ve seen, probably insist on going to school and training, too, though he should take it easy, based on the head injury.”

“Really?”

“Yup.  I’ll take him home, if it’s alright with Chrome, Ken, and Chikusa?”

The three teens in question circle around from the back of group of teens to stand by his left side, exchanging looks all the while.  Ken is suspiciously quiet.

Based on the head tilting and starting, the decision comes down to Chrome.

“Chrome?”

“Um…I know that. That he is a friend to Boss, and a guardian, but…”

Hibiki nods.  Sasagawa Ryohei is still an unknown, and loud to boot.

“Then I’ll take him to his house and treat him there.”

Hibiki turns his attention to the injured teen’s sister. “Kyoko-chan?  Can you give me directions to your house?”

“Y-y-yes.” The girl hiccups, then says more steadily, “Yes, yes I can.”  Her friend steps back to let her stand.

Hibiki lowers the Varia officer to the ground.

“Alright, Zabini, this one’s yours.”

Zabini scoffs.  “I don’t own anyone in the Varia,” but he takes the Sun officer anyways.

Hibiki rolls his eyes again.

“Alright, Kyoko-chan.  Please lead the way.”

The girl nods, and moves quickly from the remains of the hastily erected boxing ring.  Hibiki doubts she’ll want to return to school anytime in the near future.

To their backs, the Cervello call “The next battle will be for the Lightening Ring.”

~IiI~

Luna waves at Hibiki’s back, and at Blaise’s, before twitching her fingers at the boy named Basil.

He frowns, looking for the one who’s taught him to call him “Master,” and sees the man nowhere.  Perhaps he was tied up?  Or maybe he is still enjoying being reunited with his wife.  Basil would allow that as a reason (not necessarily a good one, to be sure) for why the CEDEF leader was not present at the Sun Ring Battle.

Regardless, Basil won’t look this gift horse in the mouth.

He wanders over to the blonde.

“Hello, Auntie.”

She grins and whisks him away.

(He still hates Appariting.)

~IiI~

Blaise is not quite sure what is going on with the Varia – certainly they don’t tolerate mistakes, but there’s something else that’s not quite right because the Boss’s inner circle doesn’t _do_ things like try and kill the healer when they’re down.  They’re not that stupid.

(Most days.)

Well, his nickname is The Informant.  He’d best start gathering information.

~IiI~

Sasagawa Kyoko is treated to the sight of the man carrying her brother…mothering the three teens that have recently enrolled in Namimori Middle School.

Two of the three never talk to anyone, save to give an answer, and the third yells more than Gokudera-san, based on what she can hear from the classroom two doors down from his.

“There’s a snack in the freezer, and the refrigerator is stocked.  Chrome-chan, if you’d like to make breakfast, go ahead, but make sure that Chikusa doesn’t get his hands on Ken’s tea or your coffee.  Also, don’t forget to take the medicine on the shelf labeled “Morning” if I’m not back before you leave.  Take it by 9, if you don’t go to school and want to sleep in and practice a bit.  Don’t go into the basement room to practice, though, if I’m not there.  The settings are a bit tricky.

“Ken-kun, make sure you wake up in time for school.  I should be back before then, but I might not be depending on if I get a call or something comes up.  Again, feel free to practice if you don’t go to school, but please use the backyard and not the basement.  You could work on both your flexibility and strength.

“Chikusa-kun, please make sure everyone is packed for school and gets there on time.  If not, let me know and I’ll call you all in sick.  I’d rather you all be well rested and ready to fight than getting good grades with the Varia in town.  Same to you about where to practice.  Please try not to hit Ken-kun too many times.”

The three nod, although Joshima-san seems to insist on glaring at…oh, dear, she doesn’t even know the man’s name.

“Ah, pardon me, I forgot my manners.  I’m Sasagawa Kyoko.  It’s nice to meet you.”

“Not a problem, Kyoko-chan.  Injured family causes stress even to the best of us, and manners are always secondary to healing,” the man says, smile warm.

“Anyways, my name is Yuuto Hibiki, nice to meet you.  I’ve seen your brother running for his boxing training regime.  Tsuna talks about him sometimes.  Less now that he doesn’t bother to come by and say hi, but I’m sure Gokudera and Yamamoto keep him entertained.”

Dokuro-san starts to snicker, while Kakimoto-san and Joshima-san edge away from her.

“Bye, you lot!  Sleep well!”

(Kyoko is certain this causes the boys to move even further away from Dokuro-san, but Yuuto-san doesn’t seem concerned.)

“Now, your brother boxes.  Do you do any martial arts?”

“Ah.  No, Yuuto-san, I don’t.  I have some self-defense training, but that’s about it.”

Yuuto-san hums.

“Well, if you’re interested, I _do_ run a dojo, and Chrome-chan might eventually get tired of the boys being her only company, since Lal isn’t going to be here for much longer and I have no idea what Luna’s schedule is like.

“Your friend could, of course, come too.”

“What?”

“Your friend.  Kurokawa Hana, I think that’s her name.  She could certainly attend as well.  Improve her shadowing skills.”

Kyoko’s face loses all emotion as Hana moves back from where she’d been ahead of them, having left before they had.

“Who are you.” They ask.

“Eh, I’m a lot of things.  Mostly I don’t mean any harm, although causing chaos is fun. I definitely don’t hurt kids.  Unless you’re planning on splitting your soul and terrorizing a country in an effort to erase your genealogy, increase your power, escape death, and just generally be a menace?”

“No,” Kyoko replies.

Hana glares instead.  “That doesn’t tell us anything.”

“No,” Hibiki smiles, “but you didn’t answer the question, and it should be enough for you at the moment so I can heal Ryohei-kun.”

“Swear.”

Hibiki’s gaze sharpens. “To?”

“To do us no harm for the next twenty-four hours and heal Kyoko’s brother to the best of your ability.  Swear on those weird flames all of Sawada’s group has.”

Hibiki ponders for a moment, then agrees.  “I swear on my Flames that I shall harm neither of you, Sasagawa Kyoko or Kurokawa Hana, for the next twenty-four hours and during that time frame do my utmost to heal Sasagawa Ryohei.”

There’s a flicker of multi-colored light, and the oath is made.  Hana notes that there's a faint smirk in the corner of the man's mouth, but holds her silence, as the man says, “Now, can we get my patient to a bed now?”

Priorities, of course, are to the patient.

~IiI~

True to Hibiki-san’s word, Kyoko’s brother is running around the next day, right as rain and ready to train _even more_ , since the match ended in a double knock-out.

Kyoko is not surprised, but that doesn’t mean she wants to cry and make her brother rest because _she could have lost him yesterday_.

Hana is a wonderful friend a puts up with her rants for the rest of the ~~day~~ month.

~IiI~

Luna makes sure that Hibiki does not go to the Lightening Battle.  It’s a struggle, especially with the teens he’s taking care of, who feel the need to be there to continue evaluating the person their futures rest upon, but Luna suitably distracts him by allowing him to catch up with Ginny, and he trusts her, trusts Loony Luna, to prevent him from doing something he’ll regret.

She also needs the time to sort out the information her nephew gave her, considering it pertains to the movements of the entire criminal underworld in Italy and that’s where all the interesting things will be happening in the future.

It’s best to be prepared for magical zoology, after all.  There are so many different hues to collect.

(It will take years for him to fully forgive her after hearing that _Lambo_ , the _five-year-old_ , is the one who fought for Tsuna.  It takes Hibiki only a few years less to forgive Tsuna.  Luna isn’t sure he ever forgives Reborn.)

~IiI~

The young girl tells him “Tomorrow is the Storm Battle” when Luna lets Hibiki return to his house, where he locks himself in the potion room, wards the room for one-way noise cancelation, and screams until another figure appears.

“When will it end?  When will the greater good no longer be a reason to sacrifice _children_?”

Soōn hums, and slowly approaches Hibiki, waiting for a sign that he won’t lash out if hugged.

“I don’t know, but my guess is not soon….”

They both know he means, _never_ instead of “not soon.”

* * *

Kudos, comments, and concrit welcome.

~Fini~

 


End file.
